Tag: Leonard Bernstein
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Little Scene That Became a North Star
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Creative Writing, Films by Steven Spielberg, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Movies, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, West Side Story (1961), West Side Story (2021), West Side Story – Original Broadway Cast (1957), West Side Story: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2021)The Little Scene That Became a North Star Every long‑form project has its origin myths — the moments that, in hindsight, shaped everything that came after. Sometimes these moments are deliberate. Sometimes they’re the result of careful planning, thematic intention, or structural foresight. And sometimes they arrive quietly, almost innocently, in a first draft written…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Why “Somewhere” was the Only Song Jim and Marty Could Sing
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Books, Creative Writing, Films by Steven Spielberg, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, West Side Story (1961), West Side Story (2021), West Side Story – Original Broadway Cast (1957), West Side Story: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2021)Why “Somewhere” was the Only Song Jim and Marty Could Sing Every writer knows the moment when a story makes a choice for you. You think you’re the one selecting the detail — the street name, the shade of blue, the song on the radio — but in truth, the story has already decided. Your…
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Movie Review: ‘West Side Story’ (2021)
West Side Story (2021) Directed by: Steven Spielberg Written by: Tony Kushner Based on: The Broadway musical West Side Story, conceived, choreographed, and directed by Jerome Robbins. Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Arthur Laurents. Produced for the stage by Robert L. Griffith and Harold Prince. West Side Story itself is…
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Music Album Review: ‘West Side Story – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack’ (2021)
West Side Story: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Label: Hollywood Studios Release Date; December 10, 2021 Formats: Compact disc, vinyl LP record, digital Genre: Movie soundtrack On December 10, 2021 – the same day that Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story began its theatrical release – Hollywood Records dropped West Side Story: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack in…
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Book Review: ‘West Side Story: The Making of the Steven Spielberg Film’
West Side Story: The Making of the Steven Spielberg Film Author: Laurent Bouzerau Illustrations: 20th Century Studios Pages: 256 Publisher: Harry N. Abrams Publication Date: November 16, 2021 TONY KUSHNER (screenwriter executive producer): Steven is an artist, first and foremost. Everything he makes comes from a deeply personal place; there’s great heart in his work,…
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Movie Review: ‘West Side Story’ (1961)
West Side Story (1961) Directed by: Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise Screenplay by: Ernest Lehman Based on: The stage play West Side Story, conceived, choreographed, and directed by Jerome Robbins. Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Arthur Laurents. Produced for the stage by Robert L. Griffith and Harold Prince. West Side…
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In Memoriam: Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021)
Hi there, Dear Reader. It’s early afternoon here in my corner of west-central Florida on Saturday, November 27, 2021. It’s a chilly late fall day. The current temperature is 68˚F (20˚C) under sunny skies. With the wind blowing from the north-northwest at 7 MPH (11 KM/H) and humidity at 36%, the feels-like temperature is 67˚F…