Love, passion and more than a little drama. We’re not just taking about Deco.
West Side Story returns to the big screen this week, and it’s looking like a real showstopper.
Deco’s singing a new tune with the cast of West Side Story.
Rachel Zegler (as Maria): “Tonight, tonight. The world is full of light.”
Ahhh, young love!
An epic romance returns to the big screen in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the classic musical West Side Story.
Rachel Zegler (as Maria): “I’ve never seen you before. You’re not Puerto Rican.”
Ansel Elgort (as Tony): “Is that OK?”
Ariana Debose (as Anita): “Do you wanna start World War III?”
The film stars Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as Tony and Maria, two teens who fall for each other, despite their connections to rival gangs. Rachel says she shares a special connection with her character.
Rachel Zegler: “Maria and I are both very emotional. We lead with our hearts, first and foremost. We lead with love, and we have a tough time trying to understand why people hate differences so much.”
Ansel relates to Tony too but in a more playful way.
Ansel Elgort: “I’m from New York City. I love walking around the streets. I love hanging out with my friends and playing basketball.”
Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the original West Side Story film and won an Oscar for it, returns in this new version.
Rita Moreno (as Valentina): “Skyscrapers bloom in America. Cadillac zoom in America.”
But she’s passed the Anita Baton to Broadway Star Ariana Debose.
Ariana Debose (as Anita): “Oye, Javi. Ponle fuego, vamos!”
Ariana Debose: “One of the things I love about this character is she has agency, and she speaks her mind. She’s a woman ahead of her time, and she has beautiful ambition.”
Rita says she gave Ariana one piece of very important advice when it came to portraying Anita.
Rita Moreno: “What I said was, you have to play your Anita. That’s your obligation. Nothing else.”
And while she didn’t get to do the big dance numbers this time around…
Rita Moreno: “I danced with them just for the hell of it. It’s a miracle I didn’t break a knee or something.”
And when it comes to Steven Spielberg, he says making this movie was a dream come true.
Steven Spielberg: “Being able to achieve my, I guess, my loftiest dream, which is to someday make my version of ‘West Side Story,’ that pretty much does it for me.”
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