Cynthia Erivo kicked off the 2025 Tony Awards with a spectacular musical number that brought those in the audience to their feet.

Opening the ceremony honoring the best of Broadway, the Wicked star, 38, commanded the stage at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.

The sequence opened with a camera following Erivo out of her dressing room as she made her way to the stage and encountered Oprah Winfrey, who advised her, “Be yourself.”

Wearing a glittery red dress with a white collar, Erivo then sang an original number with lyrics including, “It’s our stories and our songs that let us soar.” The actress was joined by an ensemble of robed choir members.

The musical moment honored many of this year’s Tony contenders with shoutouts, including Gypsy‘s Audra McDonald, Good Night, and Good Luck‘s George Clooney, The Picture of Dorian Gray‘s Sarah Snook and Cole Escola’s play Oh, Mary!

Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Adam Lambert and more even joined in the fun when Erivo brought the microphone into the audience.

Erivo is no stranger to the Tonys, having won a statuette in 2016 for her lead performance in a revival of The Color Purple, her Broadway debut. The London-born actress previously starred on the West End in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, I Can’t Sing and Sister Act.

“I am so proud and excited to take on this glorious honor,” Erivo said in a statement when her hosting gig was announced. “I am looking forward to ushering the theater community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year. I hope I can rise to the occasion.”

Past Tony Award ceremony hosts include Neil Patrick Harris, Rosie O’Donnell, Hugh Jackman, and, for the last three years in a row, Ariana DeBose.

This year’s Tony nominations, announced May 1, made first-time nominees out of George Clooney, Nicole Scherzinger, Daniel Dae Kim, Sarah Snook, Cole Escola and more.