Ariana DeBose is ready to channel the drama from her viral BAFTAs monologue into art.
“As a perk of hosting, I get to see every show and I have to say that the work has been incredibly inspiring. So much so, that I’ve been motivated to write my first musical,” DeBose, 33, said during the 77th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday, June 16. “Here’s the pitch, oh and thank you for clapping wasn’t looking for that.”
She continued, “Here’s the pitch: It’s three hours, no intermission and it’s based on my BAFTA rap.”
After DeBose didn’t receive an overwhelming level of applause, she simply shrugged it off.
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“No? Anyway, she liked it, Cynthia [Erivo],” the Oscar winner added. “We got one.”
DeBose hosted the BAFTAs in February 2023, opening with a musical monologue set to “Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves” and “We Are Family.” She tweaked the OG lyrics to shout-out all of the women nominated.
“Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, my ‘Woman King,’” DeBose sang at the time. “Blanchett Cate, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis], you are all of us.”
While DeBose stood by her lyrics, social media users roasted her over-the-top reactions and the way she enunciated certain phrases.
“I DM’d her last night. I did. It was beautiful,” Bassett, 65, later told Variety. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay because, you know, it’s a lot of attention. And she is A-OK.”
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On Sunday, DeBose — in her third time hosting — also made it clear why she loves live theater. (The actress has appeared in productions of Bring It On, A Bronx Tale and Hamilton.)
“We are in a global moment when the headlines are, frankly, terrifying most of the time,” she said in her opening monologue. “But the theater is a safe place for us. And in the most trying of times, art is imperative because art reflects society and provides context for the very real situations that we find ourselves in today. The collective experience can cross boundaries and unite people from all walks of life.”
She continued, “Broadway has a lot to offer. No matter what you are looking for, I promise you, there is a play or a musical that will touch your heart, speak to how you are feeling, help you cope, give you courage. You might even feel motivated to go out into the world and create change because Lord knows we need some.”
While DeBose hosts the ceremony at the David H. Koch Theater at New York City’s Lincoln Center, Skylar Astin embedded the American Express “Broadway Fanfare” simulcast event just outside the venue in Damrosch Park.
