Rachel Zegler From "West Side Story" Shared What It Was Like To Sing "I Feel Pretty" In Front Of Stephen Sondheim

4 years ago 6

ARTICLE AD BOX

"It was just too much for me to handle."

A few weeks ago, BuzzFeed got to chat with Rachel Zegler, who totally killed it as Maria in the new West Side Story.

Rachel smiles on the red carpet in a strapless ballgown

When we asked about her favorite behind-the-scenes moment, she replied, "There's too many to count, honestly."

"But I will say that something that's been on my mind is when Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Sondheim were both on set when I was doing 'I Feel Pretty,' and I couldn't bring myself to go over to either of them because I was so nervous," she said.

"Because I'm from New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen is The Boss, my hero," she continued.

Bruce playing the guitar onstage

"And Stephen Sondheim is the reason I love musical theater."

A black-and-white photo of Stephen Sondheim leaning on a chair

"So, the fact that he was watching me that day, singing his lyrics, it was just too much for me to handle, and I couldn't go up to either of them," she concluded.

And in a recent Instagram post, Rachel shared some beautiful words for Stephen. "My life would be nothing without Stephen Sondheim’s music. One of my first memories of musical theatre exposure was listening to Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone sing 'A Little Priest' in the 2005 revival of Sweeney Todd. And the rest, as they say, is history."

"Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics to West Side Story when he was in his early 20s. It was his first professional gig. And this re-imagination of West Side Story is mine. That connection is truly everything to me. And every moment I was able to spend with Steve is a true blessing to me."

Thanks for chatting with us, Rachel! You can check out our full interview here.

Read Entire Article