Leonard Bernstein, the subject of Bradley Cooper’s second feature,
Maestro is America’s most prolific composer. His work was monumental in
orchestral music. You might not be able to name a Bernstein piece off the
top of your head but you’ve most likely heard one before.
The Original Maestro: Leonard Bernstein
Best known today for writing the score for West Side Story, Leonard
Bernstein was dubbed one of the most prodigiously talented and
successful musicians in American history by The New York Times upon
his death in 1990.
With a body of work so vast and cultural footprint so deep, it would take an
experienced, nuanced director to tackle a biographical piece about his life.
Enter Cooper, who has co-written the script with Josh Singer, also stars
and directs, much like what he did for the eight-time Oscar nominee, A Star
is Born.
Maestro: Official Teaser Trailer Released
Leonard Bernstein not only inspired musicians around the world for
generations, he helped make classical music more mainstream and
accessible for the masses. His storied, grandiose career could fill pages of
movie scripts but Cooper chose to focus on Bernstein’s relationship with
Felicia Montealegre, a Costa Rican-American actress and activist with
whom he knew from 1946 until her death in 1978. They were married for 29
years.
Montealegre is played by Carey Mulligan. The rest of the cast is rounded
out by Matt Bomer, Sarah Silverman, and Stranger Things’ Maya Hawke.
The film was co-produced by Bradley Cooper, Martin Scorsese, and Steven
Spielberg. Watch the official trailer teaser here:
Maestro will debut in select theaters on November 22 and begin
streaming on Netflix on December 20.
