The late Natalie Wood was already a star before assuming the role in the 10 times Academy Award-nominated 1961 film adaptation of the 1957 stage musical.
Now, with the big-screen return of “Jets v. Sharks” warfare in the undemanded yet warmly welcomed revisitation, a new star is born; one who, incidentally enough, first gained viral attention for a video of her singing Lady Gaga’s A Star is Born hit, “Shallow.”
A true overnight sensation in the modern sense, then-New Jersian high schooler Rachel Zegler, now 20, impressed Steven Spielberg enough with a video audition to eventually beat out 30,000 others all vying to play a girl named Maria. Per Zegler, her mailed-in tape was in response to an open casting call encountered on Twitter that courted submissions from Latinx actresses.
While offering a stellar performance in her own right, contemporary reassessment of Wood’s mightily dubbed efforts do not invite consideration in the same ballpark as the Colombian crossover talent’s interpretation.
With Zegler’s stylings seamlessly delivered live on set and in studio, dramatic high notes were consistently hit, and whimsy would most definitely emit if the scene called for it. Between the song-and-dance, camera-loving chemistry with Tony (Ansel Elgort) and a grin-solidifying rapport established with the audience helped this Broadway-born product further demonstrate
its timeless aptitude for taking a collective breath away.
A Golden Globe win for “Best Actress – Musical/Comedy” already in tow, the coveted Oscar statuette is next in Zegler’s sights. Not too shabby, just one film into a career that will soon see the triple threat attack from Hackensack plug a superhero sequel (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) and play a live-action rebooted Disney princess (Snow White).
Upon first being cast in January of 2019, Zegler wrote on Instagram: “When I played Maria on stage a few summers ago, I never could have imagined that I’d be taking on the role again in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.”
“As a Colombian-American woman growing up in this day and age, strong roles like Maria are so important. To be able to bring that role to life – a role that means so much to the Hispanic community – is so humbling,” she added.
Despite winning Best Picture and still deserving its technical praise, Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ 1961 film version has drawn criticism, especially in recent years, for its casting of mostly white actors in Hispanic roles. For the new screen adaptation, Spielberg and crew were committed to keeping this same blight from repeating itself.
In an appearance on The Graham Norton Show during the awards campaign trail, Zegler recalled rocker Bruce Springsteen’s production visit.
“He came to see me sing ‘I Feel Pretty.’ He had his Aviators on, and he’s like, ‘Gotta see the Jersey girl sing,” she said. “I was losing my mind.”
Two months into its run, West Side Story – destined to face-off against The Power of the Dog, Belfast and the like on “Oscar Sunday,” March 27 – is still in theaters. Though the untimely surge of the Omicron variant hindered the film’s chances of crossing the $100 million-dollar threshold on its path to budget recoupment, it is worth all the critical and civilian hype.
Local Long Islanders: West Side Story (2021) is still playing all week long at Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, and Regal Theater of Deer Park and IMAX. Be sure to arrive early, but if you’re running late, don’t worry! Expect at least 20-plus minutes’ worth of preview trailers. ‘Tis the new age of the moviegoing experience.
