The Hasty Pudding Honors Cynthia Erivo as 2025’s Woman of the Year

Eager spectators, already forming a line down Massachusetts Avenue well before the parade’s slated start time of 1:45 p.m. on Feb. 5, jumped up and down from excitement and an effort to stay warm against the biting cold. Fueled by complimentary cannolis and ice cream, they strained for glimpses and photographs of the approaching shiny convertible escorted by dancers donning black-and-green and marching bands blasting a triumphant, instrumental version of “Defying Gravity.” Then, in an epic crescendo of chatter and camera shutters, there she appeared in a moment that defied the usual rhythm of another school day: Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning performance powerhouse Cynthia Erivo.

Erivo is the 75th person to be named Woman of the Year by Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals, honored alongside actor Jon Hamm as Man of the Year. The Pudding celebrated the Woman of the Year with a parade through Harvard Square with a destination of Farkas Hall, where a roast, a press conference, and a performance of the Pudding’s 176th production “101 Damnations” awaited her that evening.

Cynthia Erivo launched into theatrical stardom with roles in the West End and Broadway, best-known for her work in “The Color Purple.” She also starred on the big screen in “Harriet” and has now garnered an even wider fanbase through her recent, critically-acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in Universal’s record-shattering film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical “Wicked,” on which the day’s events primarily focused.

Many Harvard undergraduate fans watched the parade, bearing signs laden with references like “You make GREEN better than CRIMSON.”

“How incredible is it that Cynthia Erivo is here right now at Harvard University? I am feeling blessed right now,” Isaac A. Newman ’25 said. During his time at Harvard, Newman has been a conductor for the Pudding, including 2024’s production of “Heist, Heist, Baby!”

“This is probably the biggest thing that’s happened at this school since its founding,” he said.

A flurry of multicolored crepe streamers, propelled by members of the music and art performance troupe the Blue Man Group, heralded Erivo’s procession down the road. Pudding members dressed in quirky, eye-catching costumes followed beside. As the convertible drew closer to Farkas Hall, the crowd peeled from the passed-by spots and scurried along Erivo’s path to maximize their chances of eye-contact, a wave, or a selfie.

Hours later at 7 p.m., Pudding producers Willow A. Woodward ’26 and Daisy M. Nussbaum ’26 welcomed Erivo on the Farkas stage for her roast, which centered around the whopping runtime of “Wicked” and its numerous pairs of co-stars on Broadway and beyond, before she could win her Pudding Pot. Erivo played along with an initial response of “dreadful,” then “fantastic,” when asked by Woodward how her day had been.

Pudding members Danny O. Dennenberg ’26, Chris L. Rivers ’25, and Will W. Jevon ’27 took to the stage, parodying three famous comedians. Dennenberg, in the voice of John Mulaney, described the “Wicked” script as “so bloated, whoever wrote it must have been holding space.” Rivers, as Jerry Seinfeld, echoed the sentiment: “The ‘Wicked’ movie just kept going!” Finally, Bill-Burr-impersonator Jevon broke from the pattern by dwelling on Erivo’s role in the DreamWorks animated children’s comedy series, “The Boss Baby: Back in Business.” Erivo laughed heartily after the three comedians, then was met with her first task.

Spoofing Erivo’s infamous interview with “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande, where Grande clutches a singular finger of Erivo’s, the Pudding challenged her to a fingerpainting contest against character Finn Gerpainter, played by Isabel V. S. Wilson ’26. The prompt given invoked Grande winning Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, and Emma Rogers ’25 entered onstage as Ariana Grande. The contest concluded with Gerpainter’s victory as their easel turned around to display a pasted-on image from that interview towards the audience.

“I won’t ask you to shake hands, but I know you love to hold fingers,” said Wilson as Gerpainter.

Next, Erivo faced a social-media-inspired riff-off challenge, where she and two “Tiktok Elphabas” played by Caitlin A. Beirne ’25 and Gabrielle M. Greene ’27 each nailed her iconic twist to “Defying Gravity.” When asked who won, Erivo — the final contestant — humbly said: “I’d go with number one.”

With these challenges complete, Erivo was primed for her crowning achievement of the day: the Pudding Pot presentation. But the Pudding had one last trick up their sleeves, ushering out the Blue Man Group — complete with a blue Pudding Pot — in witch hats and capes, walking to the melody of “Defying Gravity.”

“I enjoy the blue, it’s a change,”said Erivo, who asked to keep the parody Pudding Pot even once the real deal was brought out.

“This has been awesome, by the way, thank you so much for all of it,” she said.

She smiled with sportsmanship at the roast’s conclusion to a standing ovation from the audience. Erivo then joined members of the press upstairs in Farkas Hall, where she answered questions about the significance of acting, particularly theater, in her life.

“Theater doesn’t really leave you. All that you build before you get to the screen doesn’t leave, so to still be awarded for things I’ve done on stage means a great deal, means it’s been shining through,” she said about her Woman of the Year recognition.

Erivo also remarked on what she’s looking forward to in her career.

“It can be very difficult to let a character go, even from a practical sense — it’s intrinsically who you are,” she said.

However, she shared that she is “hungry” to find her next character and already has something in the works.

“There might be something cooking already. I might have done something that’s more comedic than other things,” Erivo said.

Erivo reflected on the role of Elphaba, too.

“I’m excited to share the next part of this character and what journey she might be on. I know there’s something else brewing and coming,” she said.

—Staff writer Jackie Chen can be reached at jackie.chen@thecrimson.com.