At least one Archbishop Carroll student expressed shock by the decision by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to deny the star of the blockbuster “Wicked” an Academy Award; nonetheless, the movie got some good news at the ceremony when the costume designer made history by becoming the first Black man to win an Oscar for costume design.
Junior Erin Goodridge said Cynthia Erivo, who played Elphaba Thropp in “Wicked,” should have been voted Best Actress. The award went instead to rising star Mikey Madison for her turn in “Anora.”
“I loved her role in ‘Wicked,’” Goodridge said of Erivo. “She did an amazing job at portraying the character!”
Ariana Grande, who played Glinda Upland in “Wicked,” was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. She lost out to Zoe Saldaña from “Emilia Pérez.”
Grande and Erivo opened the 97th annual Academy Awards show, which was held Sunday, March 2, and was hosted by TV comedian Conan O’Brien. Grande sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” The movie “Wicked,” as well as the 20-year-old Broadway play that preceded it, is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.” Erivo sang “Home,” a song from “The Wiz,” an adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz” told from an African-American perspective. Like “Wicked,” “The Wiz” began as a musical on Broadway and later became a movie. Grande and Erivo came together to sing their iconic duet of “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”
“Wicked” won two Oscars. One went to Paul Tazewell, the first black man to ever win an Oscar for costume design.
“I have evolved into that inspiring figure that I had been longing to emulate as a developing designer,” Tazwell said, according to a post on his Facebook page. “I receive this beautiful recognition with immense pride and I dedicate it to everyone who has the dream to fly.”
“Wicked” also won an Oscar for set design.
“Wicked,” “Emilia Perez,” “Anora,”and “The Substance” were among films predicted to take home the most awards at Sunday night’s show. “Anora,” a twisted Cinderella-like tale, took home five of the six awards that it was nominated for, including the Best Actress award.
“I’m still kind of floating in a dreamlike state,” said Madison, the Best Actress winner, in an article published by The Hollywood Reporter. “It was a very, very surreal night — very interesting and obviously, celebratory and wonderful. But I think that I need time to really digest the magnitude of it.”
