Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) kicked off the milestone 75th annual Tony Awards with an opening performance to remember.
The Academy Award-winning actress stepped into a literal spotlight on stage Sunday night (June 12) dressed in a white and silver outfit and sang a medley of Broadway musicals – from Evita to Chicago to The Sound of Music.
The 5-minute song and dance included a shout-out to Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) who was sitting in the audience and mouthed the words, “I love you” when DeBose crossed his path.
Other songs in the first half of the mashup included “I’ve Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy, “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray, and “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin. After a short break to share a small sample of Tony Award acceptance speeches, DeBose returned to the center stage and started singing “Somewhere” from West Side Story.
The opening number ended with nods to “One Night Only” from Dreamgirls, “Let the Sunshine In” from Hair, and “America” from West Side Story, among others.
Fans watching from home seemed more than impressed with DeBose hosting this year’s awards show. “Having [Ariana DeBose] part of the queer community is honestly one of the greatest gifts the universe has ever given us,” one Twitter user wrote. “That opening Tony performance was perfect.”
Washington Post theater critic Peter Marks not only enjoyed the opening performance, but he also loved everything DeBose did during the evening.
“What Ariana Debose brought to the Tonys was grace, humility, a purity of love for the form,” Marks wrote. “None of that show bizzy cynicism. And no canned sentiment. That was a real person running the night. This is not even to mention the sparkling talent.”
At the end of the opening, DeBose received a standing ovation. If Lin-Manuel Miranda is on his feet applauding you, you’ve probably done something right.
See DeBose’s entire opening performance below.