Ariana DeBose Has Pure Theater Kid Energy in Her BAFTAS’ Opening Number
Ariana Debose stuns at the BAFTAs with an amazing performance, including her own freestyle rap honoring female nominees.
Ariana DeBose is a triple threat that has made a name for herself these past few years. She has an Oscar for West Side Story and she had spectacular success hosting the Tony Awards. She is absolutely a dynamic performer to watch.
Sisters are doing it for themselves! The incredible @ArianaDeBose opens the 2023 #EEBAFTAs with an iconic performance! ✨ pic.twitter.com/G9YgKN2e1t
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 19, 2023
This past Sunday, DeBose used her talents at the British Academy Film Awards, the BAFTAs. This award presentation celebrates the best in the previous year’s films and special categories honoring achievements in British film. After host Richard E. Grant’s opening monologue, DeBose performed a song and a rap to celebrate the night’s female nominees. She sang “Sisters are Doin’ it For Themselves” by Eurythmics featuring Aretha Franklin and “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. These songs helped start the night off with some excitement.
In addition to the songs, DeBose broke into an original rap recognizing the night’s female nominees. This rap had lyrics like, “Angela Bassett did the thing, Viola Davis, my Woman King” and “Dame Emma, I’m so fond, Ana, girl, you were great in Blonde,” with the latter line referencing Emma Thompson and Ana De Armas, respectively. With her bright pink jumpsuit and her lively crew of backup dancers, DeBose was having the time of her life. It was a celebration of girl power, which everyone needs.
What y’all don’t understand is that this is night 5 at theater camp.
— Dana (Store Name) #AmplifyBlackVoices (@sagesurge) February 21, 2023
It’s giving Adele Dazeem at the Tonys, Galinda with a “Ga,” Effie declaring she’s not going, Ellie Woods’ video essay.
Ariana DeBose needs to reactive her Twitter and stand in her greatness.#BAFTA2023 #BAFTAs pic.twitter.com/xtCPzE3wPb
DeBose’s theater kid energy was infectious. While this was not for everyone, her enthusiasm and stage presence were hard to ignore. She went all in for the number. The campiness and enthusiasm made for a great time. Eric Bullen, a producer for the BAFTAS, explained, “We wanted to open the show with some energy, some fun, and also lay out straight away that this was hopefully going to feel like a different night, but with a familiarity as well, and what Ariana did was exactly that.”
i hope Ariana DeBose knows that we loved her musical number and it was camp and fun and it brought us all joy
— alex (@alex_abads) February 21, 2023
From movies like The Prom and West Side Story to stage musicals like Hamilton, it is clear that performing and singing is what DeBose does best. That is probably why the BAFTAs asked her to give an electric opening number, even though she was not the host. On the topic of opening numbers, viewers should look up DeBose’s opening number for the Tony Awards, entitled “This Round of Applause is for You.”
Ariana DeBose, you did the thing!
