Ariana DeBose brought a little taste of West Side Story to Saturday Night Live.
The Golden Globe-winning actress, who stars as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of West Side Story, made her SNL hosting debut on Jan. 15, bringing lots of laughs to the first episode of 2022.
Wearing a shimmery white blazer and a matching furry skirt, DeBose opened her monologue by giving a nod to her roots and celebrating Broadway’s perseverance during the pandemic.
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“It is great to be here representing not only the Latino community as an Afro-Latina, but also the Broadway community,” the actress said to cheers from the audience. “Obviously, Broadway has been through a lot these last past couple of years … but we are a community that perseveres.”
She continued, “I believe Broadway changes lives, and hey, it changed mine. Broadway has this magical ability to bring people together.”
DeBose also joked that West Side Story “is actually based on another classic tale of star-crossed lovers — 90 Day Fiancé.”
From there, the actress was joined by SNL cast member Kate McKinnon for a spectacular medley of West Side Story songs, including “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” “Something’s Coming” and “America.”
Elsewhere, the episode included musical performances from Jack Antonoff’s indie pop band Bleachers, which subbed in for the evening’s originally scheduled guest Roddy Ricch, who was forced to drop out because of COVID-19 exposure.
Watch DeBose’s SNL monologue below, and see the full episode on Hulu here. The streaming service is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can sign up for here.
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