Ariana DeBose.Photo: VALERIE MACON / AFP/ Getty
Ariana DeBoseis returning to the stage to celebrate Broadway’s biggest night.
The Oscar winner — whowon her trophy this year for the latest film adaptation of the beloved stage musicalWest Side Story— will host the 75th annual Tony Awards next month, producers announced on Wednesday.
It’s the first time DeBose will serve as the Tonys' emcee, though she got experiencehostingSaturday Night Liveback in January.
She’s also is a beloved member of the Broadway community, having treaded the boards in a number of musicals, fromBring It On: The MusicaltoHamiltontoSummer: The Donna Summer Musical(the latter which earned her a 2018 featured actress in a musical Tony nomination).
“I’m coming home!” DeBose, 31, said in a statement. “I’m so honored to celebrate 75 years of excellence in theatre, but more importantly every member of this community who poured themselves into making sure the lights of Broadway have the opportunity to shine brightly once again!”
“This is a dream come true,” she added. “I’m excited to see you all.”
Tony Awards stage.Andrew H. Walker/Getty
The 2022 Tony Awards will air live coast-to-coast from the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 12 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast live on both CBS and Paramount+.
A special hour-long celebration will stream starting at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Hosts and further information on the Paramount+ presentation will be announced at a later date.
jemal Countess/WireImage
Any show that opened between Feb. 20, 2020 and May 4, 2022 (with some exceptions) will be eligible for this year’s awards. Those shows this year include musicalsGirl From the North Country,Six,Caroline, or Change,Diana, The Musical,Mrs. Doubtfire,Company,Flying Over Sunset,MJ The Musical,The Music Man,Paradise Square,The Little Prince,Funny Girl,A Strange Loop, andMr. Saturday Night.
Pass Over,Lackawanna Blues,Chicken & Biscuits,Is This A Room,Thoughts of a Colored Man,The Lehman Trilogy,Dana H.,Trouble in Mind,Clyde’s,Skeleton Crew,Plaza Suite,Take Me Out,Birthday Candles,American Buffalo,The Minutes,How I Learned to Drive,for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf,Hangman,The Skin of Our Teeth, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him AliveandMacbethare among the eligible plays.
source: people.com
