Ariana DeBose Shifts From Oscar Spotlight to Cafe Carlyle and Prime Videos Scarpetta

From the glow of an Oscar win to the intimate hush of a jazz club, Ariana DeBose is turning the spotlight back on her roots.

The Academy Award‑winning actress who brought Anita to life in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story will step onto the stage of New York’s Café Carlyle for a five‑night jazz engagement from September 29 to October 3, 2026. In the same week she will join Amazon Prime Video’s crime‑drama Scarpetta, which premiered on March 11, 2026 and features Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis.

DeBose’s journey began on the dance floor. In 2009 she became the first female contestant—and the first overall—eliminated in the first week of season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance. Since then she has graced Broadway stages in Bring It On: The Musical (2011), Motown: The Musical (2013), Pippin (2014), and the original ensemble of Lin‑Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton (2015‑2016). Her performance as Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2018.

In 2021, DeBose was cast as Anita in Spielberg’s film adaptation of West Side Story. Released by 20th Century Studios on December 10, 2021, the film won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first Afro‑Latina and openly queer woman of color to receive the honor. The triumph was followed by a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.

The sudden surge of fame brought its own challenges. DeBose has spoken candidly about the pressure to conform to industry expectations and the need for roles that push beyond an actor’s established identity. She has urged casting directors to broaden the range of characters offered to performers who have proven versatility on stage and screen.

Returning to live performance, the Café Carlyle engagement marks a homecoming to the kind of intimate venues that have hosted jazz legends like George Feyer and Bobby Short. DeBose’s five‑night run will feature a jazz trio led by music director Mark G. Meadows, blending her vocal prowess with the club’s storied ambiance.

In Scarpetta, DeBose joins an ensemble that includes Kidman and Curtis. The series, based on Patricia Cornwell’s novels, follows forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta as she solves crimes using advanced technology. DeBose’s character is part of a “family trio of women” that the show highlights.

From early elimination on a dance competition to an Oscar win, a Tony nomination, a Broadway presence, and now a New York jazz engagement and a Prime Video series, DeBose’s career exemplifies resilience and versatility. She continues to broaden her portfolio while staying true to roles that challenge and expand her artistic range.

At present, DeBose’s confirmed commitments are the Café Carlyle performances and her appearance in Scarpetta. No additional film or television projects have been announced beyond these engagements.