Ariana DeBose’s life has certainly changed a lot since appearing in Broadway’s breakout hit “Hamilton.” First, she had a lead role in “A Bronx Tale,” and now she is in the spotlight again in “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.” The latter sees the actress/singer/dancer portraying Summer during her young adult years. DeBose’s career also spans the world of TV — with appearances on “Blue Bloods” and “So You Think You Can Dance” — as well as other notable stage roles in “Motown: The Musical” and “Bring It On: The Musical.”

“Summer” focuses not only on Donna Summer’s music, but also the life she led, the choices she made, and the obstacles she overcame. From equal pay (“She Works Hard for the Money”) to sexual harassment to equal rights, the show really seizes the opportunity to take a stand during a time when women are speaking out and the world is listening.

DeBose is up for a Tony this year for her work in “Summer.” We recently talked to her about her Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination, what “Summer” means to her personally and professionally, and what it’s like working on Broadway in the dawn of #TimesUp.

“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” is currently playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit the show’s website.

W&H: What is it like being a woman on Broadway in 2018?

AD: It’s a pretty great time to be a woman on Broadway in 2018, especially a woman of color. We’re seeing more roles for women of color, roles with more depth. I was chatting with a colleague last night who I really respect and we were discussing how playing Donna Summer, in particular in our show, really allows the three Donnas, particularly three women of color, to just be and be seen, which is a huge, huge deal.

Besides that, being a woman on Broadway also carries a heavy responsibility. We are being given the opportunity to be seen, particularly right now, and what we do with that, and how we use our platform counts more than ever.

W&H: It’s an interesting time for this play to come to fruition. It tells tales of not only the amazing life and career of Donna Summer but also female existence, of the struggles women go through with equal pay, sexual assault, and cancer. What’s it like being in a play with so much social relevance?

AD: That’s a good question. It’s thrilling. It’s one of the first times that I truly feel like I’m in the right place at the right time, doing exactly what I should be doing. Each one of those topics is so hot — and just so important. Giving them visibility right now is something that I regard wholeheartedly and pour myself into every night. I could tell you it’s heavy — it is — for the sheer fact that we have come along way. What Donna was experiencing was not that long ago, it was the 1980s.

I do think that while we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

W&H: We’re very much living in the #MeToo movement, and I know that you’re very involved with #TimesUp. Does that get discussed on set? What are your thoughts about where we are right now?

AD: I’m so proud of the work that Time’s Up is doing. For a fledgling organization, we/they collectively have been able to accomplish so much in such a short time. In less than a month, we were able to work with SAG/AFTRA to create a code of conduct. That happened within a month of Time’s Up’s creation!

In particular, the code of conduct is something we talk a lot about in the theater community. It’s an uphill battle with our union to try and create new roles and bylaws. The time we are living in and the steps being taken are, of course, being talked about on our show — and on our set. We’re all trying to see how we can add to it and what can we do. My colleagues are actively looking for ways to contribute and when things die down this summer, we will look to expand our own participation.

A scene from “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”: Kevin Berne

W&H: Congrats on your Tony nomination. You are up against some incredible actresses. How does it feel?

AD: It’s thrilling — I use that word a lot! But it truly is a thrill to see my name amongst so many women that I admire. Renée Fleming [of “Carousel”] — no one compares to that voice. It’s wonderful to have her in our theater community. And [“My Fair Lady’s”] Diana Rigg — just a legend in her own time. I’ve respected [“Carousel’s”] Lindsay Mendez for quite some time and have been a fan. Ashley Park [of “Mean Girls”] and I have come up at the same time — at one point or another, we were audition buddies.

To be recognized with this particular group of women is just so exciting, and I’m so happy to be included. It wasn’t something I was looking for or thought would come my way.

W&H: Did you know a lot about Donna Summer when you took the role and did you find common ground with her along the way?

AD: The experience of my knowledge of Donna Summer before I took the project was [exercising to her music] in my living room with my mom at age 8. I knew [Summer’s] music, of course, but I wasn’t as aware of the face and the woman that was attached to the voice.

So, when I went in for the part, I did some research and learned that her roots lie in the theater. One of her first jobs was in a Munich production of “Hair,” and I thought how cool it was that she started in the theater and transitioned into being an icon, becoming the disco queen. I very much identified with that because I was finishing up my own run in “Hamilton” and was trying to transition out of an ensemble, or I at least was committed to trying to.

I also saw that she had to take some very big risks in order to accomplish her goals. She had to make quite a few sacrifices for her career, to create the music she wanted to make. It wasn’t always easy, but in her words, it was worth it. It was in her “Donna Summer: Live and More” album, while singing a rendition of Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were,” when she asked the audience, “How many of you would choose to live your life again?” And she said, “I would, too.” That’s really beautiful.

W&H: Has this play taught you what types of roles you want in the future? Do you like telling stories about women and their existence?

AD: Yes. I think I will keep adding from here. I like parts that play to my strengths. I do like a part that’s very physical, a role that takes hot topics like sexual violence and equal pay and faces them head on and comments on them unapologetically.

I like the challenge of cultural pieces and what they say, what they stand for. I gravitate toward historical pieces, too.

W&H: You play alongside two very strong female leads, LaChanze and Storm Lever. Please talk about playing alongside them.

AD: They’re my heart and soul. I wouldn’t get through the night every night without them.

LaChanze is Broadway royalty and it’s a privilege to work beside her and also observe and learn from her, how she leads a company. She’s a human. We all have our good days and bad days, but she walks through that door and leads with so much humility and grace, and I hope to emulate it throughout the rest of my career.

Storm Lever — what a fierce Broadway debut. If this is where this girl is starting, it’s amazing to think about what she will do next.

W&H: You recently worked on the film “We Rise,” which chronicles the women of New York City who fought for suffrage while bringing to light myriad social issues, from labor conditions to racism to birth control. Tell us more about it and where can we see it?

AD: Yes, I’m very proud of this film. In the span of 15 minutes, it’s a more in-depth look at the women who led the suffrage movement and it’s so important that we know and say their names. I was fortunate to work on it with my dear friend and mentor, Diana DiMenna, a patron of the New-York Historical Society, where you can see it playing on loop.

It’s really important to know where we came from to figure out where we’re going.