‘West Side Story’ a sensational new take on musical

‘West Side Story’ is a 1957 stage musical that is also based on a book by Arthur Laurents. The original stage production had received numerous nominations and wins. A few years after the stage musical premiered, a film adaptation was put together in 1961 and earned a lot of acclaim.

Now, after many decades, the world of ‘West Side Story’ comes back to the big screen for the crowd to enjoy.In the 20th Century Studios presentation of ‘West Side Story,’ love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City.

Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control on the streets. The latest version of this beloved musical is filled with incredible singing and amazing dance sequences. The 2021 version delivers a lot of heart and a good amount of emotion during certain scenes.

The entire cast did a remarkable job and you can even get to see Rita Moreno (who appeared in the 1961 adaptation as Anita) in a cameo. The two leads who portray Tony and Maria (Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler) have incredible chemistry together and the chemistry doesn’t go away.

With this musical, director Steven Spielberg really shows that he can direct anything. The highly acclaimed filmmaker did such an outstanding job giving the world a new take of the musical. The choreography shown throughout the musical is very exceptional and some of the performers’ singing can really move you. The final moments of the film can be really moving and could make you shed a tear.

So, come on down to the Dietrich and don’t miss this riveting musical. Filled with lots of emotion, beautiful songs, and great dance numbers, this new take of ‘West Side Story’ will surely not disappoint.

Some of the cast include: Ansel Elgort (The Goldfinch; Baby Driver) as Tony; Rachel Zegler as Maria; Ariana DeBose (Netflix’s The Prom) as Anita; David Alvarez as Bernardo; Rita Moreno (Netflix’s One Day at a Time) as Valentina; Brian d’Arcy James (Disney Plus’ Hawkeye) as Officer Krupke; Corey Stroll (The Many Saints of Newark) as Lt. Schrank; Mike Faist as Riff; Josh Andres Rivera as Chino; Iris Menas as Anybodys, David Aviles Morales as Anibal and Sebastian Serra as Bravlio, among many others. ‘West Side Story’ is written by Tony Kushner (Munich; Lincoln) and is based on the book/stage play by Arthur Laurents. This new take is produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, who recently directed ‘Ready Player One,’ ‘The Post,’ ‘The BFG’ and ‘Bridge of Spies.’

In March 2014, Spielberg expressed interest in directing an adaptation of ‘West Side Story.’ This prompted then-20th Century Fox to acquire the rights to the project. At one point, Rita Moreno said she wouldn’t make a cameo in the movie but eventually agreed to play the role of Valentina.

While she had played Maria in plenty of stage productions of ‘West Side Story, this is Rachel Zegler’s first film role. This film adaptation marks the first time that Steven Spielberg has directed a musical.

During its opening weekend, ‘West Side Story’ earned rave reviews and grossed an estimated $10.5 million.

‘West Side Story’ is rated PG-13 for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking and has a running time of 156 minutes.