“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo to host 78th Tony Awards

“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo has been picked to host Broadway’s biggest night, the 78th Tony Awards due to be held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York in June.

Erivo who was recently nominated for an Oscar in the musical fantasy film, said she was “proud and excited” to have been chosen.

“I am looking forward to ushering the theatre community at large through a night that celebrates the wonderful performances we have witnessed throughout the year. I hope I can rise to the occasion,” she said in a statement.

The British actress and singer, whose parents are Nigerian, is no stranger to the Tony Awards having won Best Actress in a Musical in 2016 for her breakout role in “The Colour Purple”.

She has been nominated for numerous other awards, winning the Tony, an Emmy, and  a Grammy among others.

The awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing who said that through her performances on both stage and screen, Erivo “has extended the magic of musical theatre to millions of new fans” around the world.

This year’s Tony nominations are due to be announced on the first of May.