West Side Story star Ariana DeBose has landed a plum gig hosting the first Saturday Night Live episode of 2022.
The 30-year-old actress, who has years of Broadway experience, played the role of Anita that won Rita Moreno an Oscar in the 1961 movie version of West Side Story.
Now after lending her talents to a legendary old musical she will try her hand at a comedy institution on January 15, according to Saturday Night Live’s Instagram.
Incoming: West Side Story star Ariana DeBose has landed a plum gig hosting the first Saturday Night Live episode of 2022
In the same post the sketch program revealed that Die Young rapper Roddy Ricch will be the musical guest on the January 15 episode.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the new West Side Story film is led by Ansel Elgort – who last year denied a sexual assault allegation – and YouTube star Rachel Zegler.
West Side Story was adapted from Romeo And Juliet and transposed onto a war between white and Puerto Rican gangs in 1950s New York.
Directed and choreographed by the famed Jerry Robbins, the show featured a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
There’s Ariana: The 30-year-old actress, who has years of Broadway experience, played the role of Anita whose boyfriend is the brother of the leading lady Maria
Chita Rivera starred as Anita, the girlfriend of one of the Puerto Rican gang members and the singer of the the showstopping number America.
Rita Moreno played the role in the 1961 movie co-directed by Jerry – who was in charge of the musical numbers until he got fired – and Robert Wise.
Jerry was infamously mercurial and Stephen Sondheim described him as ‘very unpleasant, paranoid, suspicious’ to the New York Times.
Oscar winner: Rita Moreno played the role in the 1961 movie co-directed by Jerry – who was in charge of the musical numbers until he got fired – and Robert Wise
Two years after Jerry’s death Stephen bluntly told the paper’s former theater critic Frank Rich: ‘I can’t even say that I miss Jerry – I miss Jerry’s impact on shows.’
In the Spielberg movie, Ariana can be seen as Anita and Rita in a role that has been tailor-made for her in the latest version.
The original show includes a kindly drugstore owner named Doc, and in the new movie Rita fulfils a similar purpose in the story as Doc’s widow Valentina.
Esteemed company: On Ariana’s upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live the musical guest will be Die Young rapper Roddy Ricch
Rita has confessed that she initially found it a jarring sensation to see Ariana step into the role of Anita all these decades later.
‘She is a beautiful Anita in the movie,’ said Rita, affectionately touching Ariana’s chin as they sat together on the NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt.
‘It’s weird!’ Rita acknowledged, adding that ‘It was so bizarre because suddenly I was playing another role’ and ‘of course’ she missed the part of Anita.
