May Art always fill your caps.
This, which the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 75th Woman of the Year, actress and vocalist Cynthia Erivo signed in the Pudding honoree guestbook, rings true to the Hasty Pudding’s motto, Concordia Discors (discordant harmony or organized chaos), christening a day full of joy, love, and laughter.
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals (HPT) honored Emmy, Tony, Grammy-winning, and 2x Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo with their iconic Woman of the Year award. During the day-long event, Erivo participated in a celebratory roast led by HPT Producers Willow Woodward ’26 and Daisy Nussbaum ’26, held a press conference, and attended the opening night of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 176th production, “101 Damnations.”
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theater company in the United States, is an avant-garde arena for fearless, disruptive comedy. Established in 1951, the Woman of the Year Award is the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ oldest honor and is awarded annually to performers who have made enduring contributions to the world of entertainment.
Cynthia Erivo is best known for her critically acclaimed role as Elphaba in Universal Pictures’ “Wicked: Part One.” Beyond “Wicked,” Erivo is disciplined, formidable, and the kind of performer who does not just inhabit a role but bends it to her will. Other notable performances of hers include Harriet Tubman in “Harriet,” Holly Gibney in “The Outsider,” the Fairy with Turquoise Hair in “Pinocchio,” Darlene Sweet in “Bad Times at El Royale,” and Celie Harris in Broadway’s The Color Purple.
Her day began with a parade at 2 p.m. down Massachusetts Avenue. The street was packed with enthusiastic fans organized into a chaotic but respectful frenzy. Erivo spent most of her time waving and soaking in the adoration from her perch on the back of a Bentley convertible. The rest of the procession included the Blue Man Group, Miss Massachusetts, student performance groups of all ages, and several HPT cast, tech staff, and business staff members. The crowd nibbled on free cannolis from Uncle Joey’s Cannolis and cheered along as Erivo participated in the customary kickline with the HPT cast on the steps of Farkas Hall.
Once inside the building, the fun continued. “Looks like someone might need to hold Cynthia’s hand—or finger—during this roast,” joked Nussbaum that night. “That said, we promise not to be as mean as the wizard. By the end, she’ll be the one who’s truly popular with the crowd.”
Before Erivo could fly off with her Pudding Pot—the award given to honorees—“roast” presenters Woodward and Nussbaum made her work through a series of tasks. The first activity involved several comedy sketches where the producers joked that to comply with Erivo’s PR team, they had to outsource “comedians” to deliver the roast. Company members Danny Dennenberg ’26, Chris Rivers ’25, and Will Jevon ’26 delivered impressions and sets pretending to be comedians.
Next, the producers asked Erivo to paint a depiction of the “holding space” meme, referring to a wonderfully bizarre interview where Erivo and her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande engaged in a confusing conversation after a reporter asked about “holding space.” Commending her effort, the producers then gave Erivo an award—a man named Oscar, dressed like the award, played by company member Kavi Gasper ’27. Erivo’s final and most anticipated task was a riff-off challenge against two members of the show’s cast, Caitlin Beirne ’25 and Gabrielle Greene ’27. While the cast members put up a good front, Erivo took the cake.
Proving herself as the Wicked Witch of the West, the producers, joined by the Blue Man Group, bestowed a faux blue pot to Erivo. After the blue pot had been returned backstage, the presenters then declared that Erivo had finally earned her place as the recipient of the prestigious golden Hasty Pudding Pot. She was awarded this trophy by the writers of HPT 176 Rodmehr Basidj ’26 and Jackson Coombs ’26, who kissed either side of her cheek.
Following the roast, Erivo was led into another room for the press conference where she was accompanied by costumed Hasty Pudding members Avery Hansberg ’25, Jane Josefowicz ’25, and HPT Press and Publicity Manager Chaelon Simpson ’26. Sat in the center holding her brand new golden pudding pot, Erivo spoke about the importance of receiving an award from such a storied theatrical organization.
“It means a great deal, actually, because theater doesn’t really leave you. The craft that you learn, the work that you are put through, the stamina that you have to build … so to still be awarded for the things that I’ve done on stage means a great deal because it means that it’s still shining through,” Erivo said. “It’s quite nice.”
With respect to the roast, she came in completely unaware of what to expect. “I wanted to be surprised. I wanted to come to this with fresh eyes and to just experience it in the moment,” Erivo said.
The evening concluded with the opening night of HPT’s 176th production, “101 Damnations.” The show centers around the “goody-two-shoes” Claire Ickle-Error, played by Gabrielle Greene ’27, who was mistakenly condemned to hell. The show began with an exceptionally well-choreographed ensemble dance number reminiscent of the Pudding’s iconic kicklines. While the plot was relatively straightforward and the characters clearly developed, the show was brought to life by the numerous jokes and puns riddled throughout the script. The cast had brilliant comedic timing. In true Pudding fashion, there were multiple jabs at both Ivy League schools like Yale and Cornell and colleges in the Boston area like Wellesley. The crowd was responsive, cheering along and guffawing with laughter at sexual innuendos and frequent political commentaries.
Even though the storyline centered around Greene’s character Claire, every character had their moment. In an interview with the Harvard Independent, Greene explained, “Claire is an interesting character to play, just because, being the protagonist, a lot of my role in the show is keeping the story grounded narratively…And I think it’s a selfless role, and that a lot of the times, it’s stepping back and making space for someone else to have their moment, or someone else to have their joke, which I really enjoy.”
The script gave each character their own journey and each cast member had an opportunity to solo in a song. Each side plot came wonderfully together into a cohesive storyline that had the audience empathizing with the characters and cheering them on as they tried to escape Hell. Greene also spoke about her experience being a part of a tight-knit ensemble. “Everyone has their own individual strengths, and I think the Pudding is really good at showcasing that.”
One of Greene’s strengths is that she’s a vocal powerhouse. In an exciting moment during one of her several solos, Greene chose to incorporate a rendition of Erivo’s iconic “Wicked” riff. It was something that had been planned by the company since they learned Erivo would be awarded WOY and be in attendance for opening night. According to Greene, “On Wednesday night, I just looked down dead center at her and did it…I was so nervous, but I think it turned out well.”
The riff, along with the rest of the show, was a major success, and the cast received a well-deserved standing ovation after the culmination of their traditional kickline that incorporated matching group costumes and some impressively high kicks.
“101 Damnations” is currently running at Farkas Hall from Feb. 7 to March 9, with special performances in New York City on March 14 and 15 and Bermuda on March 19, 20, and 21. If Cynthia Erivo loved “101 Damnations,” you will too—don’t miss out!
Rania Jones ’27 (rjones@college.harvard.edu) and Mia Tavares ’27 (miatavares@college.harvard.edu) can often be found practicing their Defying Gravity riffs in their common room.