Glory ,'The Killer In Me'
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I think what I am about to type is sacrilege, but I really don't like "West Side Story." and I think it may have to do with JZ's comment. I haven't overly analyzed the issue and only saw the movie once, but man I did not like Natalie Wood in that role and I generally have liked her in other things.
That movie leaves me really cold and I feel like a freak because usually people love that movie.
I love a lot of the dancing, and I love every moment Rita Moreno is onscreen, but Maria and Tony make me cringe. I've seen stage productions, with much better Marias and Tonys, that I loved, so I'm pretty sure my reaction is mainly to the lead casting, not the show.
For Maria - I really don't know any musical theater young'uns; the closest I could come up with, after racking my brains, was Olivia Olson (voice of Marceline the Vampire Queen on Adventure Time, and also the singing young girl in Love, Actually), who's just 22 and clearly a fabulous singer. Not Puerto Rican, though, and definitely not a white girl but also not Latina (Swedish/Jamaican/Native American). Still, worlds better than Natalie Wood.
Last time they did a revival, it was partly in Spanish, and I think the girl cast as Maria got very nice reviews.
My vote is Krysta Rodriguez for anything even remotely WSS related, though admittedly I've only seen her on screen in a tiny bit-part on Gossip Girl. On stage, she is one of my favorites of all time.
Karen Olivo was astonishingly good as Anita in the stage version of WSS. Maybe not better than Rita Moreno though. And Naya Rivera is excellent casting for that role.
The OBC Maria in the stage revival of WSS had a gorgeous voice but I doubt would be able to do well on screen. She was operatically trained and even on a Broadway style stage felt a little flat and wooden in anything acting-wise. Up close I don't think it would be pretty.
I think it would have to be an unknown to be amazing. Which makes me think it will be Anne Hathaway instead. Which, okay, I could like, but talk about not a Latina...
I've never liked West Side Story either. I think it's might be due to Romeo and Juliet being pretty much my least favourite Shakespeare.
joining le nubian in the freak corner
WSS was groundbreaking in terms of young people in musicals, and Anita is golden, but it has been ruined by too many high schools. I still remember making the horrible stage makeup and black streaks and tips our Sharks wore. It deserves a re-look, though-- like Carousel with Audra MacDOnald.
How about smarmy milquetoast Richard Beymer?
Benjamin Horn milquetoast? NEVER! Smarmy? Without a doubt.
Romeo and Juliet being pretty much my least favourite Shakespeare.
oh, this too.
Some people have never read 2 Gentlemen of Verona. Or Comedy of Errors.
Not that I'm the biggest R&J fan, but Shakespeare wrote a lot of plays and the truly terrible ones don't get done much.
point taken.