Ansel Elgort To Play Tony In “West Side Story”
Ansel Elgort has been tapped to lead the upcoming remake of West Side Story. The Baby Driver star and Off-Broadway alum is set to play the star-crossed lover Tony in the Steven Spielberg-directed movie. As previously announced, Tony Kushner has penned the script for the new take on Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents’ classic musical, with Carousel Tony winner Justin Peck set to choreograph. (Peck, of New York City Ballet, is no stranger to the work of original West Side Story director-choreographer Jerome Robbins.) A lot of sniffies have questioned why Spielberg has chosen “West Side Story” for his movie-musical debut. I reply: why not? It’s one of the greatest shows ever written. Let’s reserve our judgment.
