Steven Spielberg rescheduled some of West Side Story so his star, Rachel Zegler, could still perform in Shrek The Musical. The acclaimed director's adaptation of the 1957 stage musical, which also spawned the all-time classic 1961 film, is his first foray into the popular genre. West Side Story has already had its official premiere and is scheduled to hit theaters on December 10.
Based in turn on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story follows the budding romance between Tony (Ansel Elgort) and María (Zegler), who come from opposite sides of a New York City gang rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks. While the 1961 adaptation remains beloved by musical fans, it is notable for casting primarily White actors in the roles of the Puerto Rican Sharks, which this restaging sought to rectify. Spielberg and his team held an open casting call for the role of María, which led to Zegler headlining the high-profile project as her first professional acting job.
When she was offered the part, however, Zegler was still in high school, and she tells Good Morning America that one of her first questions for Spielberg was if she could still participate in her school's production of Shrek The Musical. Against expectations, the legendary director said yes, reminding her that he was a producer on the original Shrek movie under his DreamWorks banner. Zegler says he even rearranged some of West Side Story's rehearsals to accommodate her schedule. Check out her full quote below:
That was one of the first things out of my mouth, was 'Can I still do Shrek The Musical at my high school?' And he looked at me, and he was like, 'I produced the original Shrek, of course you can do Shrek The Musical at your high school!' And I did, and they actually altered the rehearsal schedule around for me, so I was able to do it, which was amazing.
While it was certainly kind of Spielberg to schedule his $100 million movie around his lead's high school production, there was a reason his team was intent on keeping her. After releasing very limited promotional material, West Side Story's premiere went over enormously well with critics, with many arguing that it rivals the original and ranks among the director's best work. Early reviews have singled out Zegler's performance as María for particular praise, suggesting they made the right move in ensuring they could cast her.
And even though audiences have yet to see what she can do, the industry is clearly high on Zegler's talent. She has already been cast in the DCEU film Shazam! Fury of the Gods and will play the lead role in Disney's live-action adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Thankfully for those productions, Zegler has graduated from high school by now, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the West Side Story actor balance film and Broadway roles as her career progresses.
Source: GMA
