Video: Tonatiuh Is Fulfilling Musical Theater Dreams in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
Kiss of the Spider Woman is now in theaters.
Kiss of the Spider Woman, the big screen adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical, is finally in theaters. The John Kander and Fred Ebb musical stars Tonatiuh as Molina, fulfilling a longtime dream for the performer.
"I've always loved musical theater and I've always wanted to do it, but I didn't feel like I could...," Tonatiuh told BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge. To prepare for the role, he attended a Broadway bootcamp where he had the chance to connect with other New York theater artists, a marked difference from his usual routine in Los Angeles.
"LA is a lot more isolatory, but in New York, everyone knows each other [and] everyone's constantly in the same room. It was really wonderful to get to work with the Broadway community and be a part of their family."
Kiss of the Spider Woman tells the story of Molina, a window dresser who shares a prison cell with a political revolutionary named Valentín (Luna/">Diego Luna). During their time together, Molina recounts the plot of his favorite Hollywood musical starring screen diva Ingrid Luna, played by Jennifer Lopez.
"I wouldn't have turned down this job for a second... The writing was fantastic, getting to play two different characters. I challenged myself because Molina is in a dictatorship in Argentina. I wanted to give that aesthetic, and so I lost 45 pounds in about 50 days to get that look."
Watch the full interview now, where Tonatiuh speaks more about working with co-stars Jennifer Lopez and Luna/">Diego Luna, and what it was like to perform for composer John Kander in the recording studio.
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