Ariana DeBose, the American actress, kicked off the 76th annual Tony Awards with a spectacular dance number that transformed the entire United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood into a stage.
The opening, which received a standing ovation from her peers, lacked a script or backing writers.
In a show of solidarity with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, DeBose used her opening monologue to highlight the blank pages of the script she flipped through during her performance.
She explained that the WGA members were currently on strike, seeking a fair deal. As WGA writers typically write scripts for awards shows like the Tonys, a compromise had to be reached between the Tonys and the WGA to ensure the event took place this year.
Acknowledging her hosting of the Tonys last year, DeBose humorously stated that this year’s show would be just as spontaneous. She emphasized that she, along with every presenter, would be unscripted, making it up as they went along.
DeBose then introduced the cast of the musical “New York, New York” to perform the show’s title song. The Tony Awards were being broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday night.
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