The Mary Sue: If you love musical theater, it’s likely that West Side Story is a big part of that love. If you love musical theater and you’re Puerto Rican (like me!), West Side Story has a particular significance as one of the first times you ever heard anyone talking about Puerto Ricans that much outside your own home. So, I was thrilled to learn that the classic Broadway show, which became a classic film, is now being remade for the screen.
4 comments:
I loved this article! At first, when I saw that the author was so excited about a new production of West Side Story being put on by Stephen Spielberg and Tony Kushner (both white men), I was a little nervous. Her explanation from a Puerto Rican standpoint about any white men choosing to write a story about Puerto Rican people in the first place though, I thought was important and more thoughtful than many of the angry and not thought-through arguments that a lot of people make about this sort of fact. Teresa Jusino, the author, also ended on a great note of hope that Spielberg and Kushner will not only involve the Latinx community on the screen but behind the scenes as well. It would be great if we could have this new version of West Side Story actually be directed by a Latinx artist, but it is true, as Jusino points out, that at the very least we should have Latinx writers (and designers, etc.!) working on the project as well.
West Side Story was one of the first shows I worked on in the tech capacity. I also had a small role, that of Gladhand, the dance operator. I dug into the story behind the musical and wanted to learn as much as I can. I have a few books, the bluray and dvd, and the film guide. I also love the work of Tony Kushner. This is one remake that I hope they don’t screw up. There are numerous actors of Puerto Rican descent who can fill all of the roles and of course plenty of white actors to fill out other roles. The story being told in the musical, of the cultural differences between the two youth groups, the misunderstandings and the forbidden love and keeping to your culture, transcends generations. I just hope that in this case, the folks who are doing all the design and directing work keep in mind all of the recent issues and events. Update and tell the story, but don’t whitewash or miscast the roles. It won’t work and will break a lot of hearts.
I am very glad that this article was written by a Puerto Rican American. I like the writer hope that the movie gives the viewer the opportunity to view a range of different Puerto Ricans. Both of the women who were listed as having played Anita in this article, Chita Rivera and Rita Moreno, are white Puerto Ricans. I hope that this movie can be used to bring attention to the black Puerto Rican community and the nuances of being at the intersections of being black and Latinx.
West Side Story is certainly a wonderful musical full of amazing songs and an intriguing twist on the Romeo and Juliet storyline. It is dynamic and full of life. The story line feels a lot closer to me than Romeo and Juliet because of the inclusion of people of color and some of the inter community issues that we face.
I know Tony Kushner and I share some loud political beliefs particularly about Reagan. I know that he will be able to handle the political aspect of this story well but I do hope that he leans on the emotional intellect and insight of Puerto Rican people to understand the dynamics in their culture.
I really applaud the authors reterict in this article. She explains issues with poise, she's down to the point, and most of all she says everything from a place of change rather than anger. West Side Story is one of the most important stories told in the United States. It was highly influential when it first came out and it's even more important now for a story about love, diversity, immigration, and the American dream is told on screen. The authors point about bringing on actual Puerto Rican's onto the team is highly resonant, if you're going to produce a movie about Puerto Rican's, it needs to have actual creators that understand their perspective. Though I believe that the team is pretty white washed at the moment, I have full faith in Tony Kushner to create something that is prevelant to society today, and cast actual Latino actors in this musical adaptation. The original was effective to societies and was a great illusion. But times have changed and effective won't work anymore, it's about authenticity on screen.
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