7/20/2023 0 Comments Anita west side story rita moreno![]() ![]() And I remember getting desperate because I did the singing audition, I did the acting audition, but the dance audition, I didn’t do that until later. I didn’t even know what jazz was, but that’s what this kind of dance is called. I trained because I hadn’t danced at the time-and I’m a Spanish dancer anyway. RM: That’s exactly what I loved about Anita too.ĪD: What did it mean for you to be a part of the original cast? What was your favorite scene in the original West Side Story?ĪD: I love watching you dance at the gym because it was about joy. I’m very grateful that you were as kind as you were. You were like, “This is a lot.” There are a lot of other women in this industry who might not have treated me with that type of grace. Because I remember I said, “Let’s go to lunch.” I thought, maybe we can warm up to each other.ĪD: You were just really great about it. And then, in that moment, I was not watching other people. I get my best ideas from watching other people. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I do have that side of me where I become a wallflower. It was terrible.ĪD: How were you going to know? I’m a social butterfly. ![]() Maybe I’m not … I don’t know how I feel right now.” And there was nowhere to run. I was just like, “I’m really excited to do this, and I’m going to tell her I’m really excited to do this.” And then the moment came, and I was like, “Oh, gosh. And then you came into the room that we were in, and … I’ve been watching you since I was a child. I had a full-out panic attack.ĪD: Well, I heard you before I saw you. I guess I said, “Where is Ariana?” And you about dropped your teeth.ĪD: It was really bad. I came to New York, flew in from California where I live, and met all the young dancers. RM: What I want to know is, what did you think when you met me? It was during a rehearsal. “Can I read a script?” “Absolutely.” And it was a part. It’s a real part.” And I said, “Really?” He said, “Oh, yes. It would be a distraction.” And Steven said, “No. But I also think it would, in some way, really hurt the movie. I said, “I just don’t think that a cameo would sit well in this film. ![]() I thought that somehow, out of a kind gesture of respect he called to ask if I would be in the movie. You initially told Steven no when he asked you to do the film? Here, they discuss that first meeting, the past and future of West Side Story, and saying no to Steven Spielberg.Īriana Debose: I love this because no is my favorite word. As a link between then and now, Moreno also served as an executive producer, charting a new course for West Side Story’s legacy, just as DeBose created a new story for Anita. During filming, historians and lecturers came in to educate the cast about what New York City was like in the 1950s, when the story takes place, to give context to a narrative with many themes-immigration, violence, and the hatred borne from being marginalized-that resonate so strongly today. Unlike in the original, every Latin character is actually played by someone of Hispanic heritage. While the music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim remain unchanged, this new West Side Story, directed by Spielberg, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner and choreography by New York City Ballet’s Justin Peck, adapts a timeless tale to meet the moment. In fact, DeBose says that the first time they met, she “had a full-out panic attack.” It didn’t help that Moreno would also have a part in the film, in the newly created role of Valentina, the widow of Doc, who owned the corner store where the Jets hung out. Ariana DeBose knew what she was up against when she was cast as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story: She would have to create a new Anita, entirely separate from the one that Rita Moreno had made so iconic. It is a daunting task to step into someone else’s shoes, particularly when that person is well-known-revered even-for a role. On DeBose: Prabal Gurung jacket and pants Commando bralette Bulgari earrings. On Moreno: Tom Ford skirt Alaïa belt Top and jewelry, her own. ![]()
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