In a new interview with Variety, Kiss of the Spider Woman star Tonatiuh discussed his experience working on the film adaptation of the Kander and Ebb musical classic.
The young star described working with showbiz legend Jennifer Lopez, who he calls, “breathtaking and transformative,” in the role of a fantasy woman dreamed up by an Argentinian prison inmate.
He said, “I remember there was a moment where we were rehearsing for the first time, and it was just a table read. She had the first line in it in one of the songs and she starts going full out. I had my iPad and my glasses on thinking it would be a straight table read. I was like, ‘Oh, if we’re going full out, hold on.'”
Tonatiuh also described his experience working with stage veterans during the process. He told Variety, “I spent a month in rehearsal with some incredible dancers, all Broadway legends, every single one of them. All of them were so about the art and about the community and about the work. And they were so generous with their souls to me.”
He continued, “I’m not a dancer by trade; I’m an actor by trade. But seeing the world of movement through their eyes and being open to being adjusted and getting those lines and doing honor to the memory of [original Broadway stars] Chita Rivera and Brent Carver and all of those who came before.”
The upcoming movie musical, based on the Broadway show of the same name, will make its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Exact screening times have not yet been announced, but the 2025 Festival will kick off on Thursday, January 23, with premieres in Park City every day through the end of Tuesday, January 28. Additional showings will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City throughout the Festival until Sunday, February 2. Single Film Tickets for in-person and online screenings go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. MT.
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. The musical has a book by Terrence McNally, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.
Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver-screen diva, Ingrid Luna.
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. The cast includes Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Bichir, Josefina Scaglione, and Aline Mayagoitia.
Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute
