To cap off a thoroughly enchanting evening in honor of “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” the latest exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, Ariana Grande and her Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo were the surprise performers at the 2024 Met Gala.
In front of the Temple of Dendur—amid a lush, sylvian-inspired set conceived by Derek McClane—Grande kicked off Monday night’s set solo, wearing bespoke Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano. (It marked a dramatic change from her red-carpet look: a white Loewe dress with a prettily sculpted bodice.) Grande’s was an ensemble with layers: Beneath an off-white spiderweb crinoline, worn over a diaphanous organdy smock embroidered with lace and thread, was—surprise!—a forest green draped tulle dress with rosettes, hand-sprayed gold dust, and crystal and mirror embroideries over a draped tulle skirt, a bodysuit, and a cincher in soft pastels. On her feet, she wore custom hand-painted Tabis by Christian Louboutin for Maison Margiela. (Grande’s styling was by Mimi Cuttrell, with makeup by Michael Anthony, hair by Alyx Liu, and nails by Daniel Taverez for NailGlam Production.)
For the performance, Grande artfully blended some of her greatest hits—“Into You” from Dangerous Woman; “Seven Rings” from Thank U, Next; and “The Boy Is Mine,” “We Can’t Be Friends,” and “Yes, And” from her latest album, Eternal Sunshine—with plenty of nods to fairy tales: She opened, charmingly, with a rendition of “Once Upon a Dream,” from Disney’s 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty. Surrounding her during the set were 30 (!) dancers as well as members of the 40-person choir Broadway Inspirational Voices. Michael Arden, a 2023 Tony winner for Parade, provided direction.
For the rousing finale—a joyous tribute to unity, hope, and peace—Erivo joined Grande onstage for a duet of “When You Believe,” a song made famous in 1998 by two more honey-voiced divas: Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. For her part, Erivo wore a square-hip dress in rose houndstooth jacquard from Thom Browne’s fall 2013 collection. (Her styling was by Jason Bolden, with makeup by Sam Fine, nails by Rose Hackle, and hair by Nai’vasha.) How’s that for ending the night on a high note?
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Met Gala 2024: See Every Celebrity Arrival, Read the Latest Stories, and Get Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Access Here
