Cynthia Erivo has been honored as Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year. On Wednesday, a half-hour parade in Cambridge featured Erivo interacting with fans while bundled in a parka. Participants included marching bands and the Blue Man Group, who enlivened the event with colorful confetti.
Fans showed their admiration, with one handing her a rose, while Harvard student Onovughakpor Otitigbe expressed admiration for Erivo's influence on Black women. Onovughakpor Otitigbe said: "She's such an icon. She's done so much for Black women, especially in theater...As a Black woman in theater myself, it was just really amazing to finally see her in person...Oh my gosh, I got so many selfies. Me and my friend, we were chasing her from the start to the end of the parade."
Following the parade, Erivo received her Pudding Pot award at a celebratory roast. She participated in a singing contest and a finger-painting task that amused the crowd. Erivo said: "It means a great deal actually because theater doesn't really leave you, the craft that you love, the work you are put through, the standard you build. It helps to build the work you do on screen...To be awarded for things I've done on stage means a great deal. It means it's still shining through, which is quite nice."
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The Hasty Pudding Theatricals event marked its 176th production, 101 Damnations, and continues a tradition dating back to 1844. The group has annually celebrated a Woman of the Year since 1951, with past recipients like Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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