“One hand, one heart” and a whole process of practice.
Ansel Elgort admits that it took him a few tries to nail the power ballads behind West story, in theaters December 10. “The songs are great, although I can’t sing them perfectly right away,” Elgort jokes in E! News’ Daily Pops on November 30, “But that’s good, anything that’s a challenge is good, right? It’s worth it.”
“Awesome” production, directed by producer-director Steven Spielberg, took more than a year to cast. Spielberg noted that 35,000 audition tapes contributed to the main roles of Maria, Tony, Anita and Bernando.
“Ironically, the second person I met on my first day of casting was Rachel [Zegler]”, explained Spielberg at the red carpet of the film’s premiere in New York.
The then-unknown Zegler landed the lead role of Maria after being cast by Spielberg, and she had no trouble stepping into the role opposite Elgort as her love interest, Tony.
