Video: Ariana DeBose Teases 77th Annual Tony Awards on CBS MORNINGS

Ariana DeBose, actor, singer, and host of the upcoming 77th Annual Tony Awards appeared on CBS Mornings on Thursday as part of their "Road to the Tonys" segment to share some insights into the highly anticipated event.

This is the Oscar winner's third time hosting the prestigious ceremony, following the 76th and 75th Annual Tony Awards. This year, in addition to hosting, DeBose also choreographed the opening number alongside her collaborator Julius Anthony Rubio.

"We conceived this whole idea for how we wanted to open the show and, in my opinion, it does feel new and fresh and it has a different look than my prior openings," DeBose told CBS.

She didn't feel pressure when planning the new number, saying "I never feel the need to duplicate or recycle anything that I've done. I think I come to every year with fresh eyes because every season is a different season."

She cites that the varying locations for the event also have a lot to do with the differing approaches to the evening: "We are at Lincoln Center this year and there is an energy to that space that is very different from last year so we're using the tools that we have in front of us."

Broadway is in a "transformational time," she believes. "As much as Broadway is back, we are reestablishing who we are. The old playbook, pre-pandemic, doesn't necessarily work now."

In order to prepare properly for the event, DeBose highlighted that she sees all the shows in the season: "I think there's a responsibility in seeing all of it because how do you make a show if you don't know what's running?"

Watch the full interview!

The 77th Annual Tony Awards, with Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose, will air from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, June 16 (8:00-11:00 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:00 PM, LIVE PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. Find out how you can stream the event HERE.

Host Ariana DeBose is an award-winning actress known for her varying roles onstage and in film and television. She received an Academy Award for her groundbreaking performance in Steven Spielberg's reimagining of West Side Story.

In 2021, DeBose had a breakout role in “Schmigadoon!,” the Lorne Michaels' executive-produced Apple TV+ musical comedy series, for which she returned for its second season. She also received critical acclaim for her performance in Ryan Murphy's Netflix adaptation of the hit Broadway musical The Prom opposite Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington and James Corden. 

More recently, DeBose starred in Matthew Vaughn's action film Argylle and Disney's 100th anniversary animated feature film Wish. 

Onstage, DeBose is perhaps best known for her role as “Disco Donna” in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a 2018 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. For the same role, she was nominated for a Drama League Award for “Distinguished Performance” and won a Chita Rivera Award for “Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show”.