Ariana DeBose brought the house down at the 2024 Tony Awards on Sunday night (June 16) in New York City with a tribute that was part heartfelt homage and part dance-off extravaganza for the late, great Chita Rivera.
The 33-year-old actress, who pulled double duty as the evening’s host, decided to time-travel back to 1957 and recreate a snippet of the legendary “America” dance from West Side Story. You know, the role that snagged her an Oscar in 2022. Because why not honor a legend by literally dancing in her footsteps?
For those who might have been living under a Broadway rock, Chita Rivera was the original Anita, making waves and breaking hearts in the 1957 Broadway debut of the musical. She set the bar so high it’s still up in the stratosphere somewhere.
With a tear and a twirl, Ariana declared, “I literally would not be here without Chita blazin’ the trail for all who follow. Because of her, I am. Chita, from all of us, we will always love you.” And with that, she broke into dance mode, sending sequins and emotions flying everywhere, and officially closing out the tribute with a bang (and probably a few sore muscles).
But Ariana wasn’t the only one belting out praises and doing jazz hands for Chita. The tribute turned into a full-on Tony winner reunion, with the likes of Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bebe Neuwirth, and Audra McDonald all taking their turns to wax lyrical about Chita’s career and her ability to make everyone else look like they were just winging it. It was a star-studded, jazz-handed, high-kicking love fest for a Broadway icon.
Ariana DeBose pays tribute to Chita Rivera #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/pBiVIwLvxm
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 17, 2024