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It was an inevitability that a Cynthia Erivo-hosted Tony Awards on June 8 would reference last fall’s Wicked press tour, but what would it be? Was she going to tap on her head with her long nails? Was she going to do the big note? Actually, she held space (and fingers) with Oprah ahead of her big opening number. Hostess Erivo wore an elegant red and white gown that reminded half the Vulture staff of Mrs. Claus and the other half Annie. Most likely, given the context of the night, it’s an Annie homage … but you never know for sure. The backstage bit that took Erivo from dressing room to center stage paid homage to a number of this season’s shows and highlights. The format of the bit is right out of Sunset Boulevard’s second act, with Larry Owens belting the Wicked note (someone had to) and Alex Edelman holding HwaBoon, the potted plant from Maybe Happy Ending in his pocket. On stage, Erivo sang an original song by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. You thought two duos who write anodyne music wouldn’t be able to collaborate on a song that’s about how awesome it is to sing and listen to a song? You thought wrong! Still, the song served as a decent rallying cry, with audience members smiling and bobbing along as gospel singers filed down the aisles. Even Cabaret star Adam Lambert got a little solo! Erivo, who isn’t especially funny, is at her best when she’s just reminding everyone that she’s got one of the best voices of all time. She needs to do that every now and then, or else all we’ll remember is the finger grab.
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 She also sang a song about how great it is to sing a song.Â
