Ariana DeBose thrilled the audience with a lively number as she kicked off the 76th annual Tony Awards at New York City’s United Palace Theater on Sunday.
The 32-year-old Oscar-winning actress — who was the show’s host — got things moving with a colorful dance performance that started out with her looking at a script with blank pages, as a nod to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.
She was reportedly going to perform a musical number written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, 43, but songwriter and playwright later pulled out due to the strike.
DeBose — who went viral after hosting February’s BAFTA Awards, which she opened with a rap that included famous lyrics like ‘Angela Bassett did the thing, Viola Davis my Woman King, Blanchett Cate you’re a genius, Jamie Lee you are all of us’ — danced all over the theater during the performance.
At one point she even pulled actor Samuel L. Jackson into the fun, approaching him and his wife LaTanya Richardson and awkwardly getting them to stand up out of their seats.
Fun! Ariana DeBose thrilled the audience with a lively number as she kicked off the 76th annual Tony Awards at New York City’s United Palace Theater on Sunday
Dance! The 32-year-old actress got things moving with a dance performance that started out with her looking at a script with blank pages, as a nod to the Writers Guild of America strike
Awkward! At one point she even pulled actor Samuel L. Jackson into the fun, approaching him and his wife LaTanya Richardson and awkwardly getting them to stand up out of their seats
She started out the performance in a sizzling transparent black lace mini dress with a saucy side slit, and black heels.
Ariana wore her luscious brunette tresses in loose curls for the night and sported smokey glam.
The beauty made her way from the dressing room into the corridor to the soundtrack of upbeat jazzy music, and was joined by a number of backup dancers.
At one point she threw herself off a staircase in a thrilling choreographed move, landing in the arms of a male dancer.
She continued dancing through the theater, finally making it to the main auditorium, where she thrilled the audience as she made her way through the rows of seats.
Ariana passionately performed spirited dance moves and finally reached Samuel L. Jackson — whose unimpressed reaction to losing the Best Actor Tony Award to Brandon Uranowitz went viral — who was sitting beside his wife.
That’s when she approached him, reaching out her hands, at which point he appeared confused and was pictured saying something to her.
The actor slowly made his way out of his seat, along with his wife, at which point Ariana put her hand on his arm and appeared to say something, before the camera moved away.
Confused: The moment took place inside the main auditorium, as Ariana came towards a confused Jackson
Bewildered: She reached out her hands at which point he appeared bewildered and was pictured saying something to her
What’s going on? The actor slowly made his way out of his seat, along with his wife, at which point Ariana put her hand on his arm and appeared to say something, before the camera moved away
Giving it her all! At one point she threw herself off a staircase in a thrilling choreographed move, landing in the arms of a male dancer
Wow: DeBose — who went viral after hosting the BAFTA Awards, which she opened with a rap that included famous lyrics like ‘Angela Bassett did the thing’ — danced all over the theater
Fun: The beauty made her way from the dressing room into the corridor to the soundtrack of upbeat jazzy music, and was joined by a number of backup dancers
Thrilled audience: She continued dancing through the theater, finally making it to the main auditorium, where she thrilled the audience as she made her way through the rows of seats
Cheers: She then made her way onstage and continued with an exuberant dance routine, surrounded by other dancers before ending the performance to cheers from the audience
She then made her way onstage and continued with an exuberant dance routine, surrounded by other dancers before ending the performance to cheers from the audience.
Following the performance impressed fans took to Twitter, with one writing, ‘Ariana DeBose did the thing.’
Another tried to figure out what happened between Ariana and Samuel L. Jackson, speculating she might have been trying to get him to dance
There was also a commentator who wrote about being ‘terrified’ during Ariana’s staircase stunt: ‘This was really marvelous and also I know Ariana DeBose can do a LOT but I was terrified for a moment teherewhen she flew off the stairs.’
Another fan commanded her and said she ‘ate that up! Even without singing a word.’
Later the star improvised her monologue due to the WGA strike, making sure to pledge her support for the writers currently fighting the studios for better pay and residuals.
The Raleigh, North Carolina native in her monologue addressed the ongoing labor dispute which has been at the forefront of the entertainment industry the last six weeks.
‘Our siblings over at the WGA are currently on strike in pursuit of the fair deal. Now, yes. And how many of us know what that is?’ she said. ‘I’m sure for some of you at home you are thinking, okay, the Tony Awards? I’m going to tell you – thank for asking.’
She did the thing! Following the performance impressed fans took to Twitter, with one writing, ‘Ariana DeBose did the thing’
Trying to get to the bottom of it: Another tried to figure out what happened between Ariana and Samuel L. Jackson, speculating she might have been trying to get him to dance
‘Terrified’: Another fan wrote about being ‘terrified’ during Ariana’s staircase stunt
Absolutely perfect: Praise continued to pour in for the performance
Ate it up: Another fan commanded her and said she ‘ate that up! Even without singing a word’
Loving it: Many appeared to love the performance
Plenty of praise: Commentators wrote that Ariana ‘should be in charge of all the things’ and ‘win an award’ for the opening number
DeBose went into detail about the strike, which impacted for the first time in 35 years the Tonys, in which the theater world gathers for an annual celebration of all things Broadway.
DeBose thanked WGA members for compromising with Tonys organizers not to picket the proceedings, creating an uncomfortable position for the entertainers and creatives involved with Sunday’s proceedings.
‘The award shows are traditionally written by members of the WGA,’ she said. ‘In order for us to go on, they had to find a compromise. For every single person that had a hand in finding that compromise, I say a full throated thank you!
‘So now you are asking, well, what’s the compromise? Well, we don’t have a script, you guys. Yeah. I’m live and unscripted. You’re welcome.’
The West Side Story actress said, ‘To anyone who may have thought last year was a bit unhinged, to them I say darlings, buckle up!
The ceremony was aired on CBS in an unscripted format, and the union had agreed not to picket the event.
Viewers were still entertained with plenty of performances from a variety of Tony-nominated musicals on stage.
Audience members were treated to performances from casts of Into the Woods, New York, New York, Shucked, Beautiful Noise, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, as well as the cast of the Lea Michele-led musical Funny Girl.
TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS 2023
Best Musical
& Juliet
Kimberly Akimbo
New York, New York
Shucked
Some Like It Hot
Some Like It Hot
Best Play
Ain’t No Mo’
Between Riverside and Crazy
Cost of Living
Fat Ham
Leopoldstadt — WINNER
Best Musical Revival
Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
Camelot
Into The Woods
Parade — WINNER
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Best Revival of a Play
A Doll’s House
The Piano Lesson
The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window
Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog — WINNER
Best Leading Actress of a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Sara Bareilles — Into The Woods
Victoria Clark — Kimberly Akimbo — WINNER
Lorna Courtney — & Juliet
Micaela Diamond — Parade
Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House
Best Leading Actress of a Play
Jessica Chastain — A Doll’s House
Jodie Comer — Prima Facie — WINNER
Jessica Hecht — Summer, 1976
Audra McDonald — Ohio State Murders
Best Leading Actor of a Musical
Christian Borle — Some Like It Hot
J. Harrison Ghee — Some Like It Hot — WINNER
Josh Groban — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Brian D’Arcy James — Into The Woods
Ben Platt at the Met Gala 2023
Ben Platt — Parade
Colton Ryan — New York, New York
Best Leading Actor of a Play
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II — Topdog/Underdog
Corey Hawkins — Topdog/Underdog
Sean Hayes — Good Night, Oscar — WINNER
Stephen McKinley Henderson — Between Riverside and Crazy
Wendell Pierce — Death of a Salesman
Best Book of a Musical
& Juliet — David West Read
Kimberly Akimbo — David Lindsay-Abaire — WINNER
New York, New York — David Thompson & Sharon Washington
Shucked — Robert Horn
Some Like It Hot — Matthew López & Amber Ruffin
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Jordan E. Cooper — Ain’t No Mo’
Samuel L. Jackson — August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
Arian Moayed — A Doll’s House
Brandon Uranowitz — Leopoldstadt — WINNER
David Zayas — Cost Of Living
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kevin Del Aguila — Some Like It Hot
Kevin Cahoon — Shucked
Justin Cooley — Kimberly Akimbo
Jordan Donica — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Alex Newell — Shucked — WINNER
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding — Life Of Pi — WINNERS
Miriam Buether — Prima Facie
Rachel Hauck — Good Night, Oscar
Richard Hudson — Leopoldstadt
Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon — A Christmas Carol
Best Costume Design of a Play
Brigitte Reiffenstuel — Leopoldstadt — WINNER
Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell — Life Of Pi
Dominique Fawn Hill — Fat Ham
Emilio Sosa — Ain’t No Mo’
Emilio Sosa — Good Night, Oscar
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin — Leopoldstadt
Natasha Chivers — Prima Facie
Jon Clark — Jon Clark
Bradley King — Fat Ham
Tim Lutkin — Life Of Pi — WINNER
Jen Schriever — Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman
Ben Stanton — A Christmas Carol
Best Direction of a Play
Saheem Ali — Fat Ham
Jo Bonney — Cost Of Living
Jamie Lloyd — A Doll’s House
Patrick Marber — Leopoldstadt — WINNER
Stevie Walker-Webb — Ain’t No Mo’
Max Webster — Life Of Pi
Best Sound Design of a Play
Carolyn Downing — Life Of Pi — WINNER
Joshua D. Reid — A Christmas Carol
Ben & Max Ringham — A Doll’s House
Ben & Max Ringham — Prima Facie
Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams — Ain’t No Mo’
Best Choreography
Casey Nicholaw — Some Like It Hot — WINNER
Steven Hoggett — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Susan Stroman — New York, New York
Jennifer Weber — & Juliet
Jennifer Weber — KPOP
Best Original Score (music and/or lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Kimberly Akimbo — David Lindsay-Abaire/Jeanine Tesori — WINNER
Almost Famous — Tom Kitt/Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt
KPOP — Helen Park & Max Vernon
Shucked — Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally
Some Like It Hot — Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nikki Crawford — Fat Ham
Crystal Lucas-Perry — Ain’t No Mo’
Miriam Silverman — The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window — WINNER
Katy Sullivan — Cost Of Living
Kara Young — Cost Of Living
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Julia Lester — Into The Woods
Ruthie Ann Miles — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Bonnie Milligan — Kimberly Akimbo — WINNER
NaTasha Yvette Williams — Some Like It Hot
Betsy Wolfe — & Juliet
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt — New York, New York — WINNER
Mimi Lien — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Scott Pask — Shucked
Scott Pask — Some Like It Hot
Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes — Some Like It Hot — WINNER
Clint Ramos & Sophia Choi — KPOP
Susan Hilferty — Parade
Jennifer Moeller — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Paloma Young — & Juliet
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington — New York, New York
Lap Chi Chu — Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Heather Gilbert — Parade
Howard Hudson — & Juliet
Natasha Katz — Some Like It Hot
Natasha Katz — Sweeney Todd: THe Demon Barber Of Fleet Street — WINNER
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden — Parade — WINNER
Lear deBessonet — Into The Woods
Casey Nicholaw — Some Like It Hot
Jack O’Brien — Shucked
Jessica Stone — Kimberly Akimbo
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Kai Harada — New York, New York
Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann — Into The Woods
Gareth Owen — & Juliet
John Shivers — Shucked
Nevin Steinberg — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street — WINNER
Best Orchestrations
Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter — Some Like It Hot — WINNERS
John Clancy — Kimberly Akimbo
Daryl Waters & Sam Davis — New York, New York
Bill Sherman & Dominic Fallacaro — & Juliet
Jason Howland — Shucked
