DeAlan Wilson

Author: DeAlan Wilson

Just another super comedy loving fan here!

Go behind the scenes of this re-imagining of the beloved musical WEST SIDE STORY is set to be released on December 10, 2021. The new film is Directed by Steven Spielberg, and we recently got a little ‘sneak-peak’ behind the scenes and on-set of the making of the film. It looks really exciting and the film will hopefully give birth to many new Hollywood stars including: Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); and Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); We must note that returning legendary actress Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her 1961 West Side Story movie portrayal of Anita returns to this version in dual roles. This time around Spielberg brought her on as Executive Producer and actress. as she gives life to an all new character created for her (Valentina), who owns the corner store in which Tony works.

The new Spielberg film is a direct adaptation of the original Broadway musical but is shot on actual “film” instead of digital. “My mom was a classical pianist,” said Spielberg, in his recent one-shot interview with Vanity Fair. “Our entire home was festooned with classical musical albums, and I grew up surrounded by classical music. West Side Story was actually the first piece of popular music our family ever allowed into the home. I absconded with it—this was the cast album from the 1957 Broadway musical—and just fell completely in love with it as a kid. West Side Story has been that one haunting temptation that I have finally given in to.”

Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Tony Kushner, who also served as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and Grammy Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman (Anastasia), who arranged the score, Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Thoroughly Modern Millie), who supervised the cast on vocals; and Grammy®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (Beauty and the Beast, Chicago), who serves as executive music producer for the film. The film is produced by Spielberg, Academy Award®-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and Tony Award®-winning producer Kevin McCollum.

Written By: DeAlan Wilson
Images Courtesy: 20th Century Fox