For a day, in the center of Harvard Square, Elphaba Thropp of “Wicked” was that girl.
After a frigid Wednesday parade winding through the square, in which the Oscar nominee was flanked by costumed members of the Hasty Pudding Theatrical Society, actor Cynthia Erivo was awarded the organization’s 75th Woman of the Year honor and a Pudding Pot to match.
Some high points of the evening with Erivo:
Two members of the Pudding (Caitlin Berne and Gabrielle Green) had the unenviable and frankly terrifying task of singing for Erivo as the three “competed” in a live edition of the TikTok “Defying Gravity” challenge – which the night’s honoree had to win to get that Pudding Pot. Erivo won, of course, though she pointed out “I voted for Contestant No. 1!”
Erivo not only accepted the award with the same grace she’s shown over the course of her long press tour for “Wicked” (“this has been awesome, thank you very much for all of it”), but also made a special point to encourage student hosts Willow Woodward and Daisy Nussbaum, telling the audience, “I have it on good authority that the two of you were very nervous for this. You needn’t have been, you were very good.”
Knowing that Erivo serves as honorary vice president for her alma mater, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, this moment felt especially fitting.
Later, in the press conference, Erivo shrugged off the pressure many have placed on her to achieve the storied Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony wins – of which she’s already earned three) at this year’s Academy Awards. “When I first started, I didn’t even know the Egot existed,” she said. Rather than use it as a marker of success, she instead chooses to see it as a motivator. “I use it as the inspiration to keep doing the work – because the only way it can happen is if the work is good. So [I] just try to keep doing good work.”
Unlike Erivo’s Hasty Pudding counterpart this year (and co-star in “Bad Times at the El Royale”) Jon Hamm, honored on Friday, Erivo’s career has been largely devoid of comedic performances. In the final question of the presser, I was able to ask Erivo whether we can look forward to seeing her do any in the future.
“There might be something comedic already. I may have already done something that feels more comedic than most things that might tickle your fancy,” Erivo said.
So you heard it here: An even funnier Erivo than we saw on stage is on the way.
The Hasty Pudding Man and Woman of the Year honors take place in concert with the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ annual six-week run in Cambridge. “101 Damnations” runs through March 9 at Harvard University’s Farkas Hall Studio, 10-12 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Proceeds from Hasty Pudding endeavors are shared with projects that offer access to the performing arts for traditionally marginalized individuals.
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