Watch the full interview here: bway.world/MikeDavidWSS
Get ready for a rumble! On Friday, December 10, it's Sharks vs. Jets as Steven Spielberg's much anticipated remake of West Side Story finally arrives on the big screen. Leading the face-off are Mike Faist and David Alvarez, who play Riff and Bernardo respectively.
"[Creating the rumble] was one of the most memorable experiences of my entire life. I don't think I've ever felt that kind of energy that I felt those six days that we were shooting it," explained Alvarez in a recent interview with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge. "It was so much intensity and so much passion for what we were doing. It's hard to explain, but you could really feel the energy in the room. It was an incredible experience and i think it shows on the screen."
Faist believes that the cast's bond on set led to led to a more successful end product."If we didn't have this dynamic offscreen, it would not have worked [onscreen]. There was a lot of trust and a lot of love and give and take," he said.
Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, "West Side Story" tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. The film is set to be released in U.S. theaters on December 10.
This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Brian d'Arcy James (Officer Krupke); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); with Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works); and introducing Rachel Zegler (Maria.) Moreno - one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards - also serves as one of the film's executive producers.
Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film's creative team includes Kushner, who also served as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman ("Anastasia"), who arranged the score, Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori ("Fun Home," "Thoroughly Modern Millie"), who supervised the cast on vocals; and GRAMMY®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan ("Beauty and the Beast," "Chicago"), who serves as executive music producer for the film.