Of her upcoming hosting duty, the actress portraying Anita in 'West Side Story' says that it is 'a dream come true,' before noting that she is 'excited' to host the annual ceremony.
- May 5, 2022
AceShowbiz - Ariana DeBose will serve as the host of the 75th annual Tony Awards. The "West Side Story" actress is "honored" to be "coming home" to her stage roots by anchoring the annual event, which honors excellence in the world of theater.
"I'm coming home!" she declared in a statement. "I'm so honored to celebrate 75 years of excellence in theater, 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!"
The 31-year-old, who has starred in a host of Broadway productions including "Hamilton", "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical" and "Bring It On: The Musical", added, "This is a dream come true. I'm excited to see you all."
The 2022 Tony Awards will broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ from New York's Radio City Music Hall on June 12. Adrienne Warren and Joshua Henry will announce this year's nominees on Monday, May 9.
In March, Ariana won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work on "West Side Story" and emotionally reflected on her journey as a queer woman of color. She said, "Oh my word, what is this? Now you see why Anita says I want to be in America because even in this weird world we live in, dreams do come true and that's really a heartening thing right now..."
"Imagine this little girl in the back seat of a white Ford Focus, look into her eyes, you see a, openly queer woman on color, an Afro Latina who found her strength through art and that's what I believe we're here to celebrate," the "So You Think You Can Dance" alum continued.
"To anybody who has questioned your identity or find yourself in grave spaces, I promise you this, there is indeed a place for us," she concluded her speech. "Thank you to the Academy and thank you all."
