Tag: West Side Story

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News Round-Up: February 27, 2022

Out actor Ariana DeBose won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her star turn as "Anita" in West Side Story
Ariana DeBose as ‘Anita’ in West Side Story
Some news items you might have missed: • SAG Awards: Out actress Ariana DeBose was honored tonight with the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her acclaimed turn as “Anita” in the Steven Spielberg reboot of West Side Story. Continue reading “News Round-Up: February 27, 2022”

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MJ Rodriguez Makes Golden Globe History, Full List Of 2022 Winners

Mj Rodriguez of POSE

Without a network to broadcast the proceedings plus the ongoing COVID surge, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the winners of the 2022 Golden Globes via Twitter on Sunday night. Michaela Jae Rodriguez made history as she was honored with the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama statue for her role as “Blanca Evangelista” in the final season of Pose. The win made her the first transgender person to win a Golden Globe. Continue reading “MJ Rodriguez Makes Golden Globe History, Full List Of 2022 Winners”

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Broadway Revival Of WEST SIDE STORY Will Not Reopen

2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story - Shereen Pimentel, Isaac Powell, and Cast Jan Versweyveld

The 2020 revival of the classic Broadway musical West Side Story – vividly  reimagined by director Ivo van Hove and choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker — opened less than a month before the coronavirus outbreak shut down Broadway. The producers have announced it will not reopen. Continue reading “Broadway Revival Of WEST SIDE STORY Will Not Reopen”

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First Look: New Spielberg Revamp Of ‘West Side Story’

Still from the upcoming 2021 revamp of West Side Story
Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in West Side Story (credit: Niko Tavernise/20th Century Studios)
In addition to seeing the legend herself, Rita Moreno, present on last night’s Oscars, viewers were also treated to the first look at the upcoming film reboot of West Side Story. Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Tony Kushner, West Side Story reinvents the classic Romeo and Juliet story seen through the lens of fierce gang rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. With the focus on young lovers Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler), sharing the spotlight are territorial gangs Sharks and Jets pulsing with youhtful angst and a desire to find ‘somewhere’ they can belong. I know I have a lot of readers who love Broadway musicals. Having performed WSS several times (playing just about every Jet from Riff to Action to Snowboy to Baby John) as well as staging the show, this looks to be amazing. I got chills watching this quick sneak peek. From 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company will release West Side Story in US theaters on December 10, 2021. Can’t wait! The luminous Moreno (who scored one of the original 1961 film’s 10 Oscars) not only plays the role of ‘Valentina’ in gender-flipped casting of the local drug store owner ‘Doc,’ but is an executive producer on the film.

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Daily Dance: American Dance Machine ‘Cool’ From West Side Story

Dancers recreated "Cool" from West Side Story

Dancers recreated "Cool" from West Side Story
(screen capture)
American Dance Machine for the 21st Century has released its latest virtual video, “Cool” from West Side Story, performed by 10 talented dancers around New York City. “Cool” was directed by Tony Award nominee Joshua Bergasse, with choreography by Jerome Robbins recreated by Robert La Fosse. Bergasse has staged for ADM21 include “20th Century Fox Mambo” which Josh created for the hit NBC series “Smash,” and “The Great Lover” pas de deux for the 2014 revival of On The Town which was originally choreographed by Jerome Robbins, the revival for which Josh received his first Tony nomination. Back in December, ADM21 released its first virtual video, “The Music and the Mirror” from A Chorus Line, performed by 27 singer/dancers coached by Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie.

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News Round-Up: October 2, 2018

InstaHunk Thiago Oliveira

Some news items you might have missed:

• Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco was this weekend – check out InstaHunk Thiago Oliveira’s (above) account for some visual highlights 😉

•The manager of NYC gay bar Monsters has quit amid uproar over racist tweets.

• Actor Jake Choi (ABC’s Single Parents) has come out as sexually fluid. “I’m attracted to everything.”

• Donald Trump’s net worth has declined by more than $1 billion since he launched his presidential campaign.

• Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, The Fault in our Stars) has been cast to play “Tony” in the upcoming remake of West Side Story.

• ABC News reports four members of white supremacist group have been arrested “for committing various acts of violence” at the 2017 Charlottesville rally.

“These guys came to Charlottesville in order to commit violent acts, and it wasn’t the first time they’ve done it.” Watch below.

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60 Years Ago Today: West Side Story Opens On Broadway

Sixty years ago today, a rumble began at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway as West Side Story took the theater world by storm.

With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins, the edgy, urban musical has returned to Broadway several times and the movie adaptation went on to win 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

I made my debut as a professional actor in West Side Story back in 1984, and appeared in the show several times again. Along the way I played “Riff,” “Action,” “Snow Boy,” and “Baby John.” So the brilliance that is West Side Story resonates deeply for me.

My last experience with the show was choreographing a production in San Diego where I got to pass on some of what I learned over those years as a member of the “Jets.”

I don’t think there’s an actor/singer/dancer alive in the musical theater that isn’t inspired by the creative genius and visceral acting opportunities of WSS.

Me sitting in front rehearsing the Sharks in “Prologue” in 2016
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No WEST SIDE STORY For North Carolina Or Mississippi

Music Theatre International, which handles licensing rights for stock and amateur theater productions of tons of musicals, has announced there will be no productions of West Side Story authorized for performance in North Carolina or Mississippi.

MTI serves as an agent for the rightsholders whose shows we represent. The rightsholders of this show have made their intentions clear and MTI will not issue new licenses for this show within North Carolina or Mississippi until we receive new instructions.

As regular readers of The Randy Report know, both North Carolina and Mississippi have recently passed anti-LGBT legislation in their respective states.

I’m guessing the folks who oversee the rights by the creators of West Side Story (Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein) don’t want their work to appear where anti-LGBT animus is apparent.

Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin) has recently made a similar announcement about the rights to his work in North Carolina.