Watch New ‘West Side Story’ Star Rachel Zegler Belt Out ‘Shallow’ From ‘A Star Is Born’ (Video)
Newcomer will make her debut as Maria opposite Ansel Elgort’s Tony in Steven Spielberg’s remake
Brian Welk | January 14, 2019 @ 1:50 PM
Last Updated: January 14, 2019 @ 1:56 PM
You may not know who Rachel Zegler is yet, but it won’t be long until you do. The 17-year-old newcomer was just cast as Maria opposite Ansel Elgort’s Tony in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic musical “West Side Story,” which will be her film debut.
So the big question is, who is Rachel Zegler, and can she sing? Uh, yeah. She’s got some pipes.
The newcomer has a whole YouTube channel featuring covers of pop songs and Broadway standards, including most recently, her own rendition on “Shallow,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s internet-breaking duet from “A Star Is Born.” In fact, a brief video of her singing the song in front of an empty auditorium went viral on Twitter back in December. A star is born, indeed.
She’s also a big Queen fan, performing covers of songs like “Somebody to Love,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “The Show Must Go On,” typically with headphones on from the comfort of a darkened room. What’s more, she’s frequently advocated for the Mercury Phoenix Trust and sports Freddie Mercury as the cover photo on her Twitter page.
Zegler will star alongside Rita Moreno, who starred as Anita in the original film version of “West Side Story,” as well as Tony winner David Alvarez, Tony nominee Ariana DeBose and Josh Andres Rivera as Chino.
Meanwhile, if you had a question about whether her co-star Ansel Elgort can sing, well, here’s the actor covering “City of Stars” from “La La Land.”
Watch Zegler’s video above.
17 Top-Grossing Broadway Musicals of All Time, From 'Hamilton' to 'The Lion King' (Photos)
A ranked list of the biggest hits on the Great White Way, as of March 8, 2020 (according to The Broadway League)
17. "Rent" (original production) Opened: April 29, 1996 Closed: Sept. 7, 2008 Gross: $274.2 million
16. "The Producers" Opened: April 19, 2001 Closed: April 22, 2007 Gross: $288.4 million
15. "Mary Poppins" Opened: Nov. 16, 2006 Closed: March 3, 2013 Gross: $294.6 million
14. "Miss Saigon" (original production) Opened: April 11, 1991 Closed: Jan. 28, 2001 Gross: $298.7 million
13. "Kinky Boots" Opened: April 4, 2013 Closed: April 7, 2019 Gross to date: $319.0 million
12. "Les Misérables" (original production) Opened: March 12, 1987 Closed: May 18, 2003 Gross: $406.3 million