‘Wicked’ Star Cynthia Erivo Named Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year

Adoring fans of Cynthia Erivo braved the bitter cold temperatures on Wednesday, Feb. 5, to witness the "Wicked" star arrive in Cambridge, where she was celebrated as Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year.

The half-hour parade for Erivo included marching bands, a mechanical bull in the back of a pickup truck, and members of the Blue Man Group, who launched confetti into the air.

"She's done so much for Black women, especially in theater," said Onovughakpor Otitigbe, a 21-year-old Harvard student from New York, in an interview with NBC10 News Boston. "As a Black woman in theater myself, it was just really amazing to finally see her in person."

Harvard's theater group, Hasty Pudding Theatricals, has existed since 1844 and claims to be the third-oldest operating performance troupe in the world. On Wednesday evening, Erivo received her ceremonial Pudding Pot during a ceremonial roast at Harvard's Farkas Hall. Following the dinner, she attended a performance of the group's 176th production of "101 Dalmatians."

Erivo's entry into the performing arts began with her performance in the Broadway revival of "The Color Purple" that garnered her a 2016 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2024, she starred in and produced "Drift," a story about a young Liberian refugee who escapes her home country to a Greek island.

In addition to her starring role in the musical "Wicked," Erivo is a two-time Oscar nominee and has won Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards.

In January 2025, actor Jon Hamm was named the 2025 Hasty Pudding Theatricals Man of the Year. Hamm is best known for his role as ad executive Don Draper on the AMC series "Mad Men."