Video: Ariana DeBose Discusses Her Return to Live Theater on THE VIEW
DeBose is starring in The Baker's Wife, which is running through December 21, 2025 at CSC’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater.
By: Josh Sharpe Oct. 31, 2025
Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose is returning to the stage for the first time in eight years with the off-Broadway production of The Baker's Wife. The Tony nominee stars in the show opposite Scott Bakula and, on Friday, joined The View to discuss her experience coming back to live theater.
"I've always loved the connection that an actor has with an audience in the theater," she explained. "The audience, for me, is always the last character in a show... I feed off of that [energy] and I think I do some of my best work in the theater and I'm really proud to get back to it..."
During the conversation, she also discussed receiving the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) Rita Moreno Award for Excellence earlier this month, telling The View hosts, "I was... so comforted being there with all of you because it was like the comfort blanket I needed to be surrounded by community and my culture." Check out the full interview, where she also recalls her hesitation to audition for Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, a role that went on to win her an Oscar.
The Baker’s Wife features a book by Tony Award winner Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof), music & lyrics by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, The Queen of Versailles), based on the film La Femme du Boulanger by Marcel Pagnol, adapted from Jean le Bleu by Jean Giono, choreography by Stephanie Klemons, and direction by Gordon Greenberg (The Heart of Rock and Roll). The production began previews on October 23, and will run for an extended engagement through December 21, 2025 at CSC’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater.
It stars Golden Globe winner Scott Bakula as Aimable Castagnet and Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose as Geneviève Castagnet, with Wendi Bergamini, Savannah Lee Birdsong, Arnie Burton, Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli, Alma Cuervo, Tony Award nominee Kevin Del Aguila, Bill English, Zachary Freier-Harrison, Samantha Gershman, Nathan Lee Graham, Tony Award nominee Judy Kuhn, Sally Murphy, Manu Narayan, Mason Olshavsky, Kevin William Paul, Will Roland, and Hailey Thomas.
In a quiet French village, a baker and his wife bring fresh bread…and fresh gossip. But when temptation stirs and hearts wander, the whole town gets caught up in a swirl of romance, mischief, and melody. The Baker’s Wife brings Stephen Schwartz’s soaring score, including the iconic “Meadowlark,” to life in its full-scale production in New York City. Sweet, surprising, and full of heart, this long-awaited production celebrates love in all its perfectly imperfect recipes.
The creative team for The Baker’s Wife includes Charlie Alterman (Music Direction), Jason Sherwood (Set Design), Catherine Zuber (Costume Design), Bradley King (Lighting Design), Jason Crystal (Sound Design), Casting by The Telsey Office (Craig Burns, CSA), and Production Management by Libby JVera / LJPM. Jason Weixelman serves as Production Stage Manager.
