Brilliance Doesn’t Ask Permission: Cynthia Erivo Takes the Stage in Denver
The renowned “Wicked” star to headline the Colorado Symphony’s 2025 Frontier Gala
On the silver screen, she commands the attention of her audience with a burning intensity, building believability around Harriet, Elphaba, Aretha, and each of the many other characters she’s embodied. On stage, her subtle, yet powerful portrayals of Celie and Sister Mary are rich with emotional depth and charisma. When she speaks, each careful syllable feels like a soft serenade wrapped in elegance and warmth. Her presence is magnetic, and her performance is transcendent…and now, is her time to shine.
Cynthia Erivo does not enter quietly. Her striking beauty and radiant fierceness send waves of energy ahead of her, announcing her arrival before she says a word. Whether commanding a Broadway stage, a Hollywood set or the heartstrings of a philharmonic audience, her uncommon magnetism offers a rare blend of precision and soul.
On May 10, she will grace Denver audiences with her unmistakable presence as the headlining performer for the Colorado Symphony’s 2025 benefit “Frontier Gala” concert, an event as much about artistry as it is about impact. The performance promises an evening of melodic magnificence as Erivo delivers an array of beloved Broadway hits and soulful tunes.
To fans of her work and supporters of her off-screen endeavors, the British actress and singer symbolizes ascension, self-discovery and purposeful leadership. Her voice – soaring, electrifying and unflinchingly honest – carried her from a small flat in South London to the world’s most prestigious stages; and yet, she remains anchored to her beginnings with modesty and a wholehearted belief that anything is possible.
Bold Beginnings
Born Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Amarachukwu Owezuke Echimino Erivo in 1987, she was raised in the working-class neighborhood of Stockwell, London, by her mother, Edith, a nurse who immigrated from war-torn Nigeria at the age of 15. Her production company, named “Edith’s Daughter,” is a tribute to her mother, who cared for her and her younger sister, Stephanie, after their father exited their lives.
Erivo showed an early aptitude for music and acting. She sang in church and school choirs and attended a performing arts school where she received vocal training, then expanded her talents to theatre and television. She began studying music psychology at the University of East London in 2004, but after a year, her ambition demanded more.
She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Acting and refined the skills that would later captivate audiences around the globe.
Earlier this year, Erivo revealed that her path to entertainment was foreseen by her mother during an interview with The Guardian. Though she dates her earliest recollection of being drawn to the performing arts to age five, she stated that her mother knew she would be a singer from the time she was 18-months-old.
“You don’t really know the difference when you’re five. I knew that whatever I was doing seemed to make people happy, but you’re just making noise,” she said, adding that she finally realized the power of her voice at age 11. “My family’s not a musical, acting family. I had no clue how to do this.”
Her first appearances were on British television shows and on stage at the Brighton Festival in East Sussex, England. In 2011, she made her West End debut in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and in the same year, she performed as Sister Mary Clarence in the UK touring production of Sister Act.
In 2013, she played the role of Celie in the Menier Chocolate Factory theatrical production of The Color Purple, which was originally portrayed by actress Whoopie Goldberg in the film adaptation of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel. In 2014, she was nominated as Best Leading Actress at the BroadwayWorld UK Awards for her role in the European premiere of Dessa Rose.
Broadway Breakthrough
In 2013, Erivo reclaimed her starring role as Celie in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s revival of The Color Purple. The production transferred to Broadway in 2015, and she continued her portrayal of the mistreated housewife, stunning audiences opposite Jennifer Hudson and Danielle Brooks. Widely praised for her emotional depth, powerful vocals and ability to convey Celie’s suffering with compelling acuity, she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
The following year, she and the entire cast won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
The breakout role propelled her to even higher heights, with The New York Times writing, “Ms. Erivo’s sobering and stirring portrayal of Celie, in a rapturously reviewed revival of The Color Purple…has brought the kind of praise that can change a performer’s career.”
The role felt fated to the performer, who knew in her gut that she was supposed to do the show as soon as she found out it was auditioning.
“People would ask me about other roles, and I’d say: ‘No, I’m meant to be Celie.’”
Cinematic Rise
After stunning audiences on stage, Erivo made a seamless transition to film, delivering standout performances in “Bad Times at the El Royale” and Steve McQueen’s “Widows,” a political thriller, in 2018. Both roles allowed her to showcase her range, winning over cinemaphiles with her vulnerability and resilience.
In 2019, she landed a lead performance in the 2019 biopic, “Harriet.” She portrayed the revered abolitionist with an emotional honesty and stoic accuracy that earned two Academy Award nominations; one for Best Actress, and the other for Best Original Song, for “Stand Up,” which she co-wrote.
Filming “Harriet” was physically demanding, calling for outdoor shoots in winter months. She worked through the inclement weather, determined to emulate the strength shown by the formerly enslaved woman.
“You also have the emotional journey that she goes on,” she recalls. “It is tough, and you have to be strong enough to do that.”
“I felt a responsibility – more responsibility than pressure – to tell the story. I felt like I was now responsible for making sure that this story was told in the right way.”
In addition to the Academy Award nominations, Erivo received nominations from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critics Choice Awards, BET Awards and NAACP Image Awards, winning Outstanding original Song for Visual Media from the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and the Hollywood Breakout Actress Award.
“To the mother who raised me with almost nothing, made sure I wanted for nothing, built her own life and made sure I had everything I needed!! This picture is a testament to how far we have come. Front row at the Oscars. Look what you did mummy,” she shared on her Instagram account in 2020. “There was a time when you kept my dream alive, sometimes with a simple word, words have power, if you hadn’t done that, I don’t know if this picture would exist!”
So far, she has won Daytime Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar Awards, making her a candidate for the highly-coveted EGOT.
Onscreen and Unapologetic
In 2021, Erivo earned praise for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha.” She performed the Queen of Soul’s iconic catalog live, mastering Franklin’s vocal nuances in a technical and emotional feat that added another layer to her ever-expanding repertoire.
The lauded vocalist had seen Erivo sing on at least two occasions; once backstage after her performance in The Color Purple, and again at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors, where she sang Franklin’s song, “The Impossible Dream.”
“I saw her when I was about to perform and she remembered me and was like, ‘Oh you, you can sing!’” Erivo told Entertainment Weekly. “I was like, ‘I’m happy! That’s it! I don’t need anything else.’”
The same year, Erivo released her acclaimed debut solo album, “Ch. 1 Vs. 1,” a collection of introspective R&B, pop and gospel music, with personal poetry woven throughout.
Explaining that her eclectic musical style is the result of listening to different types of music since childhood, the artist draws inspiration from other musicians and embraces everything from the mechanics to the melodies.
Appearances in “Chaos Walking” (2021), “Needle in a Timestack” (2021), “Pinocchio” (2022), “Luther: The Fallen Sun” (2023) and “Drift” (2023) add to the superstar’s film credits.
Cinematic Magic
In 2024, Erivo stepped into one of the most iconic roles in musical theater: Elphaba, the green-skinned misunderstood heroine of “Wicked.” Directed by Jon M. Chu, and starring alongside Ariana Grande as Glinda, the first installment of the two-part film adaptation earned rave reviews and became a pop culture phenomenon. Audiences were particularly awestruck by her performance of “Defying Gravity,” a number synonymous with Broadway bravado.
In its opening weekend, the film made $164 million, defying box office expectations and breaking the record for a Broadway adaptation.
On stage, the theatrical production has only featured one Black woman as Elphaba – Alexia Khadime, in the London production from 2008 to 2020.
“I knew there was a long line of history behind me,” Erivo told Variety, acknowledging the weighted importance of the film with over 20 years of theatrical history behind it. “My responsibility is to hold that, see it, understand it, respect it and then create my own. If I’m trying to do something that came before, then I’m not in the room.”
Erivo’s portrayal won over skeptics and became a centerpiece of the conversation around the film’s success. Part two, titled “Wicked: For Good,” is set for release in November 2025, with Erivo reprising her role as Elphaba.
So Much More Than a Performer
In 2020, Erivo founded Edith’s Daughter, a production company committed to telling stories from underrepresented voices. The company recently signed a first-look deal with MRC Television, signaling a major expansion of the entertainer’s influence behind the scenes.
In addition to advocating for equitable conditions within the entertainment world she supports charitable initiatives such as The Loveland Foundation, which provides resources and support for Black women and girls; the Refugee Council; and the Sundance Institute. She uses her platform to push for systemic change, and regularly speaks at events supporting education, health and artistic access.
Remarkably, her support for diversity, equity, inclusion and LGBTQ+ rights have catapulted her to champion-status for an entire community. In 2022, she and her partner – actress, producer and screenwriter Lena Waithe – publicly confirmed their relationship; and at the Los Angeles LGBT Center Gala she began her Shrader Award acceptance speech, “As I stand here in front of you: Black, bald-headed, pierced and queer, I can say I know a thing or two about being the ‘other.”
Earlier this year, she was honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for her role in raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ+ issues.
“More than anything, I have seen and felt how open armed my community has been. I have spoken about being your whole self, and your true self. I speak about the prizes that come from being you against the odds, but rarely do I acknowledge how hard that can be,” she said, during an impassioned acceptance speech.
“It isn’t easy – none of it is. Waking up and choosing to be yourself; proclaiming a space belongs to you when you don’t feel welcomed; teaching people on a daily basis how to address you and dealing with the frustration of re-teaching people a word that has been in the human vocabulary since the dawn of time – they/them.”
“Words used to describe pedantically two or more people; poetically, a person who is simply…more.”
A Legacy Unfolding
At 38, Erivo has built a career most artists spend a lifetime chasing, and she is just getting started.
In addition to her ongoing work with “Wicked” and Edith’s Daughter, she is set to lead several upcoming projects, including a series on British civil rights activist, Olive Morris, and the second season of “Poker Face.” Her ambition shows no signs of slowing.
She balances acting, advocacy and production while prioritizing her personal mental health and wellness through journaling, meditation and cooking.
“It’s an ongoing journey that teaches you about discipline; your stamina; how your mind works; how you psych yourself out sometimes; how you can buoy yourself and lift yourself up,” she told Jay Shetty in a 2023 interview about “Finding Balance.” “I gain so much from it. Believe me, there are days when I do not want to get outside, or on a treadmill and do any of it, but that also is a moment for me to sort of learn.”
With every note sung, every role embodied and every truth told, she continues to redefine what’s possible – both in entertainment and in the way stories are told, and whose voices get to tell them.
“What is supposed to be for you will come to you, and if it wasn’t meant to come to you, it won’t. You are good enough,” she says.
When she sings in Denver, it will be a performance that reminds audiences that brilliance doesn’t ask for permission – it rises.
A Night on the Frontier
Erivo’s performance is scheduled as the capstone to the “Frontier Gala,” which supports the Symphony’s wide-reaching community engagement and music education programs.
The concert will feature Erivo performing selections from Broadway, soul, gospel, and her own original material — backed by the full might of the Colorado Symphony.
Attendees are promised a night of extraordinary music, with a powerful affirmation of what the arts can accomplish when aligned with purpose.
