Cynthia Erivo Electrifies 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade With Show-Stopping “Feeling Good” Performance

Tony- and Grammy-winner Cynthia Erivo electrified Manhattan this morning as she opened the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a soulful rendition of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” scatting over a lone piano while crowds lined Central Park West. The performance comes just ten days after the Oscar-nominated star of “Wicked: For Good” lost her voice at the film’s New York premiere—forcing co-star Ariana Grande to field most red-carpet interviews on her behalf. Bundled in a monochromatic maroon coat and matching hat, Erivo reintroduced her powerhouse vocals to millions of NBC and Peacock viewers while previewing the stamina she’ll need for the two-part “Wicked” saga, now in theaters. Moments later, she told Today’s Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie that the Thanksgiving break will be devoted to “rest and voice care” before awards-season campaigning begins. The London-born performer, 38, has spent the fall quietly building momentum: her first memoir-adjacent title, “Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much,” hit shelves last week, expanding on the viral GLAAD acceptance speech that celebrated unapologetic self-expression. That message dovetails with Erivo’s signature shaved head and brow-free look—a style choice she embraces to keep the focus on “face, not hair,” despite online chatter. Erivo’s parade opener also caps a banner year that saw her belt the soaring ballad “No Good Deed” in “Wicked: For Good,” land covers for Harper’s Bazaar and Elle UK, and record new material rumored to feature on the film’s soundtrack. Industry insiders note that the November exposure perfectly positions her for early Oscar buzz in both acting and original song categories—potentially making her the youngest EGOT in history if she clinches the Academy Award that eluded her for “Harriet.” For fans, today’s performance served as a reminder of Erivo’s dual identity: theatrical titan and chart-ready vocalist. Social feeds exploded with clips of her sky-high final note, fueling pre-holiday streaming spikes for both “Feeling Good” and the “Wicked” score. With a high-visibility parade slot, a blockbuster musical in cinemas, and a newly released book amplifying her personal brand, Cynthia Erivo just turned Thanksgiving into the opening scene of her own awards-season narrative—and search interest is soaring accordingly.