Rachel Zegler Named Best Actress For WEST SIDE STORY By National Board of Review

Rachel Zegler has been named Best Actress of the year by the National Board of Review for her performance as Maria in West Side Story.

The organization has also named West Side Story as one of the top films of the year.

The honorees will be celebrated at the organization's gala event on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. Today Show anchor Willie Geist is slated to host.

It was recently announced that Zegler would star in Disney's upcoming live action remake of Snow White, featuring new music from Pasek & Paul. She will also appear in the upcoming superhero sequel "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," which stars Zachary Levi and features Adam Brody, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Asher Angel, and more.

Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, "West Side Story" tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. The film is set to be released in theaters on December 10.

This reimagining of the beloved musical also stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Brian d'Arcy James (Officer Krupke); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); with Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works). Moreno - one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards - also serves as one of the film's executive producers.

Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film's creative team includes Kushner, who also served as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman ("Anastasia"), who arranged the score, Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori ("Fun Home," "Thoroughly Modern Millie"), who supervised the cast on vocals; and GRAMMY®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan ("Beauty and the Beast," "Chicago"), who serves as executive music producer for the film.

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