WEST SIDE STORY Casts Mike Faist as Riff; 40 Sharks and Jets Members Also Cast

Dear Evan Hansen's Mike Faist has been cast as Riff of the Jets in Fox's Steven Spielberg West Side Story film, according to Deadline. Puerto Rican singer and dancer Ana Isabelle will play Rosalia, a shark who works with Maria, Dance Moms' Maddie Ziegler has been cast as part of the Jets, and Paloma Garcia-Lee from Broadway's upcoming Moulin Rouge! has been cast as Riff's girlfriend Graziella. They have also cast over 40 performers set as Sharks and Jets!

In addition to Faist and Ziegler, the Jets chorus includes Brianna Abruzzo, Kyle Allen, Kyle Coffman, Ben Cook, Harrison Coll, Kevin Csolak, Kellie Drobnick, Julian Elia, Myles Erlick, Leigh-Ann Esty, Sara Esty, John Michael Fiumara, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Garett Hawe, Patrick Higgins, Sean Harrison Jones, Eloise Kropp, Lauren Leach, Jess LeProtto, Skye Mattox, Ezra Menas, Adriana Pierce, Brittany Pollack, Daniel Patrick Russell, Talia Ryder, Jonalyn Saxer, and Halli Toland.

Rounding out the members of the Sharks are David Aviles Morales, Yesenia Ayala, María Alejandra Castillo, Annelise Cepero, Andrei Chagas, Jeanette Delgado, Kelvin Delgado, Gaby Diaz, Yurel Echezarreta, Adriel Flete, Carlos E. Gonzalez, David Guzman, Jacob Guzman, Ana Isabelle, Melody Martí, Ilda Mason, Juliette Feliciano Ortiz, Edriz E. Rosa Pérez, Maria Alexis Rodriguez, Julius Anthony Rubio, Carlos Sánchez Falú, Sebastian Serra , Gabriela Soto, Ricky Ubeda, Tanairi Vazquez, Jamila Velazquez, Isabella Ward, and Ricardo Zayas.

The film's previously announced cast members include Rita Moreno (Valentina), Ansel Elgort (Tony), Rachel Ziegler (Maria), Ariana DeBose (Anita), David Alvarez (Bernardo), Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino), Brian d'Arcy James (Sergeant Krupke), and Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank).

ANGELS IN AMERICA scribe Tony Kushner is currently working on the film's script. Joining Spielberg as producers are Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger.

The 1961 musical drama film WEST SIDE STORY was directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris.

Released on October 18, 1961 through United Artists, the film became the second highest grossing film of the year in the United States and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, including Best Picture (as well as a special award for Robbins), becoming he record holder for the most wins for a movie musical.

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