The classic musical West Side Story has now been remounted and rethought in a new film

directed by Steven Spielberg.

It still features those familiar songs like Tonight, Rhea, somewhere.

It's still a riff on Romeo and Juliet featuring two star-crossed young lovers caught up

at the conflict between rival gangs.

And it still features plenty of chorus boys, hurling their bodies back and forth across

the script.

But this is no mere cosmetic update.

Tony Kushner's script attempts to flesh out the original musicals howlingly stereotypical

take on its Puerto Rican characters and completely reimagines many aspects of the story.

I'm Aisha Harris.

And I'm Glenn Weldon and today we're talking about West Side Story on Pop Culture Happy

Hour from NPR.

Here with Aisha and me today is Daisy Rosario.

She's an executive producer at Stitcher with a show Celebrity Book Club with Chelsea Devantes.

It's in its first season right now, hey Daisy.

Hey Glenn, thanks for having me.

It's great to have you and also here is Ana Maria Sayer.

He's a producer for NPR's Alt Latino, hey Ana Maria.

Hey, how could it be here?

Great to have you.

Let's dig in.

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