In a touching surprise, Tony-winning actor and singer Cynthia Erivo paid an emotional visit to her old school, where her unexpected entrance left choir students shrieking with delight and moved to tears.

A video shared by BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday (Nov. 18) captures the moment Erivo quietly walks into a rehearsal of the students singing “For Good.” The room erupts in joyful chaos as the young performers realize who has arrived, and Erivo herself becomes visibly overcome while watching them sing especially for her.

The students were given a chance to ask questions, and when one pupil asked Erivo to name the most rewarding moment of her career so far, she answered succinctly and poignantly: “This.”

The clip concludes with Erivo joining the choir for a full performance of “For Good.” At the students’ urging she also delivers a spirited rendition of her famous “Defying Gravity” cry, to everyone’s delight.

The surprise comes mere days before the release of Wicked: For Good on Friday (Nov. 21), which closes out the two-film musical saga that began in November 2024 when the first Wicked film opened and broke box-office records.

The original movie went on to win Academy Awards for costume and production design, and Erivo received a Best Actress nomination. Should she earn another nomination for For Good, it would complete her EGOT — an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Watch the full moment in the video above.


Billboard VIP Pass