A new film version of the beloved American musical West Side Story opened in theaters around the world Friday. Director Steven Spielberg employed Latin actors to perform the parts of the Puerto Rican characters on which the story is based. That was not the case in casting for the 1957 Broadway musical or 1961 movie of the same name. Only one actor in the film was Latin: Rita Moreno, who played Anita. She won an Academy Award for her performance. The movie received nine other Oscars. Like those productions, however, this new movie is also based on William Shakespeare’s tragic love story, Romeo and Juliet. West Side Story presents two opposing groups of teenagers in New York City: The Sharks are Puerto Rican, the Jets are white. Jet Tony and Shark Maria fall in love, increasing hostility and distrust between and within their groups. Spielberg spent more than a year looking for his cast. His search went outside the United States to Latin America and Australia. Twenty of the film’s actors are Puerto Ricans or of Puerto Rican ancestry. I wanted to cast it authentically, to ensure that the actors playing the Shark boys and girls were 100 percent Latinx, and young, Spielberg said. Rita Moreno is among the cast also. And she helped produce the movie. This time Moreno plays Valentina, a new part that replaces the original character of store owner Doc. Latinos are the largest minority in the United States, accounting for 19 percent of the population. Numerous studies show that the group is greatly under-represented in film and television.
Title: Movie: New 'West Side Story' Is Cast 'Authentically'
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Movie: New 'West Side Story' Is Cast 'Authentically'' data-article-id='5969'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11313'>A new film version of the beloved American musical West Side Story opened in theaters around the world Friday. </span> <span data-start-time='11313' data-end-time='23188'>Director Steven Spielberg employed Latin actors to perform the parts of the Puerto Rican characters on which the story is based.</span> <span data-start-time='23188' data-end-time='35063'>That was not the case in casting for the 1957 Broadway musical or 1961 movie of the same name. </span> <span data-start-time='35063' data-end-time='43188'>Only one actor in the film was Latin: Rita Moreno, who played Anita. </span> <span data-start-time='43188' data-end-time='47646'>She won an Academy Award for her performance. </span> <span data-start-time='47646' data-end-time='52188'>The movie received nine other Oscars.</span> <span data-start-time='52188' data-end-time='64542'>Like those productions, however, this new movie is also based on William Shakespeare’s tragic love story, Romeo and Juliet. </span> <span data-start-time='64542' data-end-time='77938'>West Side Story presents two opposing groups of teenagers in New York City: The Sharks are Puerto Rican, the Jets are white. </span> <span data-start-time='77938' data-end-time='89896'>Jet Tony and Shark Maria fall in love, increasing hostility and distrust between and within their groups.</span> <span data-start-time='89896' data-end-time='95313'>Spielberg spent more than a year looking for his cast. </span> <span data-start-time='95313' data-end-time='103042'>His search went outside the United States to Latin America and Australia. </span> <span data-start-time='103042' data-end-time='110375'>Twenty of the film’s actors are Puerto Ricans or of Puerto Rican ancestry.</span> <span data-start-time='110375' data-end-time='125604'>I wanted to cast it authentically, to ensure that the actors playing the Shark boys and girls were 100 percent Latinx, and young, Spielberg said.</span> <span data-start-time='125604' data-end-time='129333'>Rita Moreno is among the cast also. </span> <span data-start-time='129333' data-end-time='132521'>And she helped produce the movie.</span> <span data-start-time='132521' data-end-time='143521'>This time Moreno plays Valentina, a new part that replaces the original character of store owner Doc.</span> <span data-start-time='143521' data-end-time='153854'>Latinos are the largest minority in the United States, accounting for 19 percent of the population. </span> <span data-start-time='153854' data-end-time='161938'>Numerous studies show that the group is greatly under-represented in film and television.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18275 data-hint-location='110375' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/what_does_authentically_mean.wav'>What does authentically mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='done in a true and accurate way'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/done_in_a_true_and_accurate_way.wav'><span>done in a true and accurate way</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/done_in_a_harmful_way.wav'><span>done in a harmful way</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/done_in_a_funny_or_comedic_way.wav'><span>done in a funny or comedic way</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/done_in_a_imaginary_way.wav'><span>done in a imaginary way</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18276 data-hint-location='52188' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/what_shakespeare_story_is_west_side_story_based_on.wav'>What Shakespeare story is West Side Story based on?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Romeo and Juliet'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/romeo_and_juliet.wav'><span>Romeo and Juliet</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/king_lear.wav'><span>King Lear</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/hamlet.wav'><span>Hamlet</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/othello.wav'><span>Othello</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18277 data-hint-location='43188' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/she_won_an_academy__blank__for_her_performance.wav'>She won an Academy <span class='blank'>Award</span> for her performance.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Award'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/award.wav'><span>Award</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/burger.wav'><span>Burger</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5377/plate.wav'><span>Plate</span></div><div class='choice' 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