Cynthia Erivo has hailed her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande as “my favourite person to sing with”, and said she will “never forget” joining her on stage at her concert.
The pair performed several tracks from the hit musical at The O2 on Sunday, the second night of the Thank U, Next singer’s London residency.
Grande and Erivo, who received Oscar nominations for their performances in the 2024 film before reprising their roles as Elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland in Wicked: For Good, sung tracks such as For Good and Happy Days.
Instagram tributes
Erivo shared videos of the two on stage to Instagram, along with a photo of her embracing Grande, accompanied by a heartfelt message.
“Ari, my sweet sister, my favourite person to sing with,” the Grammy-nominee wrote.
“Thank you for inviting me to share your stage, singing two songs that represent such a massive part of our lives.
“This is what we do it for, for the love of the work and for all of the fans. I missed this. We missed this.
“And I wish I had more words, but to put it simply, I will never forget this night. Like a handprint on my heart.”
Erivo signed off the post with “all my love”, and Grande responded: “It’ll always come back to this… just as it started.
“I’m so grateful for this moment and for you… Love you always.”
Grande’s O2 residency
Grande began her O2 residency on Saturday after news emerged that she will step back from public life, and thanked fans for their “overwhelming” support as she kicked off the 10 nights of shows.
The set drew heavily on Grande’s 2024 album Eternal Sunshine, along with tracks from her latest release Petal as well as hits such as Into You, Thank U, Next and 7 Rings, along with a cover of Lady Gaga’s Rain On Me.
Grande’s elaborate staging saw her perform in a rundown house, and the lighting rig was transformed into a police helicopter, while she waved and blew kisses to fans throughout.
Videos breaking up each act of the performance gave the concert a cinematic feel, which was added to by Erivo’s appearance on Sunday.
Stepping back from spotlight
Grande announced last month that she will take a step back from the spotlight after she completes the residency, which will bring an end to her Eternal Sunshine tour.
Speaking on stage at an earlier gig on the tour, Grande said her decision to take a break came from “a thoughtful and empowered place” and was “not a reactive or impulsive thing”.
She has also dropped out of the upcoming London revival of Stephen Sondheim musical Sunday In The Park With George, in which she was due to appear opposite Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey. Her role is to be recast.
Grande’s music video for Petal, the title single from her eighth studio album, sparked speculation about her health.
The singer also appeared to confirm her relationship with dancer and photographer Ricky Alvarez on Instagram last week.
Petal became Grande’s sixth consecutive number one album last week, following Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018), Thank U, Next (2019), Positions (2020) and Eternal Sunshine.
