#’Saturday Night Live’ Kicks Off 2022 With Host Ariana DeBose

After COVID-19 threw a wrench in Saturday Night Live’s holiday episode with host Paul Rudd, the late-night comedy series is set to return later this month on January 15 with first-time host Ariana DeBose and musical guest Roddy Ricch.

DeBose stars as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic movie musical West Side Story, earning much praise and critical acclaim for her portrayal of Rita Moreno’s iconic Oscar-winning role. The Tony Award and Critics Choice Award-nominated actress is well-known among musical theatre fans, having starred as titular disco queen in the Broadway musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, along with appearing in the original casts of Hamilton, Bring It On: The Musical, and A Bronx Tale, among many other stage credits.

Before West Side Story, DeBose starred in another stage-to-screen adaptation as Alyssa in Netflix‘s The Prom, as well as the Apple TV+ musical series Schmigadoon.

Musical guest Ricch will make his SNL debut following the success of his sophomore album Live Life Fast, which debuted at the top of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

DeBose took to social media to share her excitement, stating, “Hold please while I go collect my extremities, as I have exploded from excitement and sensible fear.”

New episodes will continue to air live throughout the month on January 22 and 29 on NBC and Peacock. Additional hosts and musical guests have yet to be announced.

Created and executive produced by Lorne Michaels, SNL took home eight 2021 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. The series is produced in association with Broadway Video.