NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� was a towering figure on Broadway. So it seems only fitting that the new film darma of him leans on the Great White Way to get the story right.
Bradley Cooper鈥檚 movie is studded with theater stars 鈥� 29 of the 38 principal cast members have a background in the theater, including Gideon Glick, Greg Hildreth, Nick Blaemire, Ryan Steele, Zachary Booth and Gaby Diaz.
Look closely and you鈥檒l find actor-turned-director Scott Ellis playing Bernstein鈥檚 manager, Harry Kraut, and rising stage star Jordan Dobson 鈥� whose credits include 鈥淏ad Cinderella,鈥� 鈥淗adestown鈥� and, significantly, 鈥淲est Side Story鈥� 鈥� playing a young conductor.
Casting director Shayna Markowitz said she didn鈥檛 necessarily set out to land theater pros but it came naturally when she was trying to populate Bernstein鈥檚 world authentically.
鈥淭here鈥檚 kind of this amazing synergy between casting theater actors to portray people of the theater world and of Lenny鈥檚 world,鈥� Markowitz said. 鈥淚 just feel like we got really lucky with just these wonderful New York actors that are here and that wanted to be a part of this.鈥�
Markowitz worked with Cooper on telling the story of a conductor, composer, pianist who helped create such musical theater classic as 鈥淲est Side Story,鈥� 鈥淐andide,鈥� 鈥淥n the Town鈥� and 鈥淲onderful Town.鈥� Cooper stars alongside Carey Mulligan as Bernstein鈥檚 wife.
Some selections seem inspired, like the casting of dancer Ricky Ubeda by choreographer Justin Peck. In 2015, 鈥淪o You Think You Can Dance鈥� winner Ubeda made his Broadway debut when joining the ensemble of a revival of 鈥淥n the Town鈥� and in 鈥淢补别蝉迟谤辞鈥� he can be seen in a dream sequence of, yes, 鈥淥n the Town.鈥�
But perhaps the best Easter egg is a scene in the movie when the cast is rehearsing 鈥淐andide鈥� with Cooper conducting. Actor June Gable approaches Mulligan's character to ask a question. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize that's the same Gable who was nominated for a Tony Award in the mid-1970s for 鈥淐andide.鈥�
鈥淪he knew Lenny Bernstein and so was having a full-on, out-of-body experience being in that scene with Bradley,鈥� said Markowitz. 鈥淪he was like, 鈥業t was crazy. I was crying. It was as if he was there.鈥� So that was a cool moment.鈥�
Casting directors like Markowitz use a service that alerts talent agents and managers about upcoming roles and she will makes up her own lists of actors she thinks would be perfect, which she did for 鈥淢aestro.鈥�
鈥淓very director works a little differently. Every project is obviously different and the needs are different. I adapt to how the filmmaker likes to work,鈥� said Markowitz. 鈥淚 think you want to find the very best actors who are most suited for the roles. That never changes.鈥�
Glick, who has appeared on Broadway in 鈥淪pring Awakening,鈥� 鈥淪pider-Man: Turn Off the Dark鈥� and was Tony-nominated for 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird,鈥� auditioned on tape for the role of Tommy Cothran, music director at a radio station in San Francisco and a lover of Bernstein.
鈥淏radley created a very loose and immersive environment that was very, very playful and it sort of reminded me of that stage in the rehearsal process when you鈥檙e doing a play or a musical where you鈥檙e not being result oriented and you鈥檙e just exploring and taking chances,鈥� said Glick. 鈥淚 think you can feel that in the film.鈥�
Some parts in 鈥淢补别蝉迟谤辞鈥� are very small roles 鈥� just a few seconds of film needing a day's work 鈥� but have deep significance for the theater community, like the legendary songwriting team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green 鈥� played in 鈥淢补别蝉迟谤辞鈥� by Mallory Portnoy and Nick Blaemire.
鈥淎ctors sign on to do projects or audition for projects because they want to be a part of it. And so they understood the significance of both of those parts,鈥� Markowitz said. 鈥淪ome actors just want to be a part of it no matter what and no matter how.鈥�
Ellis, a multiple Tony Award-nominated director, was coaxed back to acting by Cooper, a friend and colleague who had worked together onstage, most notably on
Cooper thought his warm and loving relationship with Ellis could infuse the onscreen relationship he wanted to show between Bernstein and his manager.
鈥淚t was so relaxed and an incredible experience and something way out of my comfort zone," said Ellis, who estimated he last acted 30 years ago.
"I鈥檓 sitting there in a dressing room surrounded by these incredible actors who, as a director, I would go, 'God, I鈥檇 love to work with you on a piece.鈥� But, all of a sudden, I realize, 鈥楴o, I鈥檓 just one of them.鈥欌��
In many ways, 鈥淢补别蝉迟谤辞鈥� is the latest artistic watering hole for Broadway veterans, joining 鈥滾aw & Order," 鈥淕lee,鈥� 鈥淭he Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,鈥� 鈥漈he Good Fight,鈥� 鈥淭he Gilded Age,鈥� 鈥淔osse/Verdon,鈥� 鈥淶oey鈥檚 Extraordinary Playlist,鈥� 鈥淥nly Murders in the Building鈥� and 鈥淪mash.鈥�
Markowitz, who works across film and TV and who has cast 鈥淒ash & Lily,鈥� 鈥淥cean's Eight,鈥� winning the inaugural BAFTA Award for best casting in 2020 for 鈥淛oker,鈥� said 鈥淢补别蝉迟谤辞鈥� is special.
鈥淭his is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone film for sure,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 feel so lucky to have had this experience, and I鈥檓 so happy with how people are receiving it as this really special thing, because it鈥檚 it鈥檚 very special to me.鈥�
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Mark Kennedy is at
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
