'West Side Story' (1961 & 2021) with Ron Piretti

For our "Two Shot" episode of Best Supporting Acting Winners, Madeline, Julian and Emilio keep things local, and with the help of actor/teacher/fight director Ron Piretti, they dive into both film adaptations of the beloved musical 'West Side Story'.  Both the Jerome Robbins original and the Steven Spielberg remake have the distinction of earning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in their respective years for their portrayals of the same character, Anita, by Rita Moreno in 1961 and Ariana DeBose in 2021.  In addition to exploring what makes Anita such an indelible and celebrated character, the group explores the ways in which the remake expands the world its characters inhabit, discuss which character portrayals they enjoyed the most, how the climactic "Rumble" is depicted on stage vs on film, the effect that differences in the order of musical numbers has on the greater narrative, and much more! Ron Piretti is a teaching artist for The Barrow Group in NYC, and you can find him and his work at ronpiretti.netIf you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice.  This really helps us find new listeners and grow!Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at [email protected] Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats