Stephen Sondheim praises Steven Spielberg's West Side Story adaptation, saying the movie is "really terrific." The legendary theater composer wrote the lyrics to the original 1957 Broadway play, which was inspired by Romeo and Juliet. Arthur Laurents is responsible for the show's story and the music is by Leonard Bernstein. West Side Story was first adapted into a feature film in 1961 which starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris. Now, another highly anticipated adaptation is on the way.
After various delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, West Side Story will finally debut in theaters this Winter on December 10. Steven Spielberg directs with a screenplay by Tony Kushner. The two previously collaborated on Munich and Lincoln. The new adaptation stars Rachel Zegler in her screen debut as Maria, who falls in love with Tony, played by Ansel Elgort. Moreno will also return as a new character, Valentina. West Side Story stars an ensemble that includes Corey Stoll, Brian d'Arcy James, Ariana DeBose, and Maddie Ziegler.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, West Side Story's original lyricist Stephen Sondheim praised Spielberg's new iteration. Sondheim called the film "really terrific" and urged audiences to go out to theaters to see it, saying "You’ll really have a good time." He also hinted that Spielberg's version deviates significantly from the original, saying "there’s going to be some real surprises." See what else Sondheim said about the new film below:
It’s really terrific. Everybody go. You’ll really have a good time. And for those of you who know the show, there’s going to be some real surprises. [Kushner] has done some really imaginative and surprising things with the way the songs are used in the story, and the whole thing has real sparkle to it and real energy, and it feels fresh. It’s really first-rate, and movie musicals are hard to do and this one, Spielberg and Kushner really, really nailed it.
As the Broadway show's original lyricist, Sondheim's praise carries a little more weight than others. Although he is never one to "tout [his] own work," as he joked on The Late Show. It should be noted that Sondheim was not a fan of the first feature film adaptation from director Robert Wise. Although it won a staggering 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Sondheim had some choice criticism, saying it wasn't "a good movie at all because it’s not a movie. It’s a photograph of a stage."
If Spielberg's version has the approval of the play's original lyricist, it is sure to gain the approval of audiences at large. With just two largely non-revealing West Side Story trailers to work with, it's difficult to ascertain what Spielberg and Kushner did with this adaption that differs from the 1961 version, but it has clearly won Sondheim's approval, who is commonly considered the greatest composer and lyricist in the history of American theater. His praise will only serve to intensify anticipation for the new West Side Story coming to theaters on December 10.
Source: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
