Jennifer Lopez Says John Kander Was Involved in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN Movie

According to a new report in Variety, Jennifer Lopez, who recently finished filming the upcoming film Kiss of the Spider Woman, said working with composer John Kander on the film was "a dream."

Kander wrote the score for the 1993 Broadway musical, winning a Tony alongside lyricist and frequent collaborator Fred Ebb.

“John Kander, who is 97 years old, was in the studio with me,” Lopez said. “He is the most beautiful man. He was there for all of our recordings of the album and the pre-records for the movie. It was a dream.”

In the film, Lopez stars alongside Diego Luna and Tonatiuh who play Valentin Arrequi and Luis Molina, respectively. 

Lopez added that Kander only had “very small notes” for her performance, a fact that left the actress "shocked." Her producing partner, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, added that Kander said her performance was "the best he ever heard.”

Lopez commented on the show, calling it "a very special musical. It is very relevant and timely right now. It’s a beautiful love story. The music and lyrics alone that Kander and Ebb did is so moving and so beautiful. I honestly was blown away and so incredibly fortunate to be able to sing those songs. I’ve never worked on a movie that I did not want it to be over. I wanted it to go on and on and on and on.”

The film is written and directed by Bill Condon, who previously helmed Dreamgirls, two of the Twilight films, and Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

Winner of seven 1993 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, based on the novel by Manuel Puig, explores the complex relationship between two men caged together in a Latin American prison for very different reasons. 

Valentin dreams of his girlfriend and the political revolution he once led, while Molina, a gay window-dresser, spins a fantastic yarn of romance and intrigue about Aurora, a B-Movie actress. When the Spider Woman comes to glorious musical life, Kiss of the Spider Woman casts a spell that is breathtaking, heartfelt, and profound. 

The musical has a book by Terrence McNally, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

Photo credit: Walter McBride