Auditions for the ‘West Side Story’ Remake Will Take Place in Puerto Rico

Auditions for the West Side Story are finally here! We’ve been reporting the progress of the new Steve Spielberg film production of West Side Story from the announcement, to cast additions, and now finally the auditions. We’ve known for a couple of months that award-winning director would be looking for Latinx actors for his film, but now we have concrete information about when and where they will take place.

On Tuesday, December 11, an open casting call will take place in Puerto Rico at 10 a.m. at the Universidad de Puerto Rico in San Juan. The address is: Av. Dr. José N. Gándara, San Juan. Casting director Cindy Tolan said in an email and tweet that she is specifically looking for the character of Maria and “Latinx actors between 15 and 25 years of age with a strong dance background and ability to sing.”

Unà Vez Mas! #Westsidestory
Open Call — MARIA — Puerto Rico, December 11th#wss #spielberg #kushner #maria pic.twitter.com/tUhQv9JVj4

— cindy tolan (@cindytolan1) December 4, 2018

However, even if you don’t think you fit the role of Maria, if you have the talent they’re looking for, you can always try for another character, or a background dancer. It never hurts to try. Her tweet goes on to say that people who are auditioning should be prepared to sing a cappella. She also asks that you bring a resume and photo stapled back-to-back.

The good news is, if you cannot make this audition in Puerto Rico, you can always email a video, headshots, and resume to Tolan at westsidestorycastingsearch@gmail.com.

You must know this already but just in case, you’ll definitely want to learn how to sing “I Feel Pretty,” “Tonight,” and “Somewhere.”

As we previously reported, actress and singer Rita Moreno will have a new role in this remake — thankfully after Spielberg convinced her to do the part. The film is expected to begin production in the summer of 2019.

Will you be auditioning? We’re still wondering if Naya Rivera is going to try.