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Lin-Manuel Miranda & Raúl Esparza's West Side Story Duet Is a Total Riot
SVU fans, feast your eyes on ADA Barba's performance as the lovelorn Maria from West Side Story.
Aside from serving ruthless sarcasm and cross-examinations as ADA Rafael Barba on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Raúl Esparza is an applauded stage actor who has brushed shoulders with many iconic performers throughout his career.
The Tony-nominated actor has performed with dozens of stage icons, but his duet of "A Boy Like That" from West Side Story with Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda is a delightful deep-cut. Both actors clearly respected the material and each other, adding an extra layer to an already spectacular performance.
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Whether you're a longtime fan of the musical or new to its timeless story, Raúl Esparza and Lin-Manual Miranda's rendition of "A Boy Like That" is a certified must-watch.
Raúl Esparza and Lin-Manual Miranda Together
The powerhouse duo performed a high-energy duet of "A Boy Like That/ I Have a Love" from West Side Story hit at 2014's Miscast celebration, a cabaret-style performance featuring gender-bent reimaginings of show tunes.
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Esparza took on the role of West Side Story's ill-fated ingenue, Maria, while Miranda played Anita, the girlfriend of Maria's murdered brother, Bernardo. (Some context: The "Boy Like That" is Tony, Maria's love interest and Bernardo's murderer.)
Miranda and Esparza couldn't have chosen a more passionate selection for the humorous performance as, in the musical, the song directly follows Bernardo's death. The song is fast-paced argument between Maria and Anita as Maria realizes she is still in love with Tony despite her own brother's murder. Miranda played up Anita's grief-stricken astonishment for comedy, while Esparza showcased his powerhouse pipes as Maria.
The end picture is a comedic nod to one of West Side Story's most iconic and tense scenes.
As soon as Esparza and Miranda took the stage, the audience knew they were in for a treat. The Hamilton star sang each line of Anita's with passionate fury, trying to snap Maria to snap back to reality.
As Esparza jumped in, the audience giggled with delight at the men's commitment to Anita and Maria's plight. And, as they navigated Sondheim's intricate back-and-forth lyrics, their voices intertwined in a way that expertly highlighted the song's dramatic tension and emotional complexity.
As "A Boy Like That" led into "I Have a Love," Esparza's haunting delivery stole the spotlight as he pled with Miranda's Anita to understand that love will win over logic. The performance concluded with Miranda joining in for the final chorus, effortlessly harmonizing with Esparza. The men joined hands for the final note, staying in character until off-stage.
Esparza and Miranda's dynamite vocals, expressive acting, and undeniable chemistry combined to create a profoundly moving and technically flawless reimagining. The audience was entirely immersed in the duo's storytelling, bringing new life to the West Side Story hit yet again.
What to know about "A Boy Like That" from West Side Story
The smash musical West Side Story, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, debuted on Broadway in 1957. Leonard Bernstein wrote the music, while Stephen Sondheim penned the lyrics.
"A Boy Like That/ I Have a Love" is the penultimate song of the musical's final act. For the original Broadway cast recording of the track, stage legend Chita Rivera played Anita and Carol Lawrence played Maria.
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The musical was adapted into a film in 1961, with Rita Moreno playing Anita and Natalie Wood starring as Maria. Betty Wand and Marni Nixon provided the vocal dub for the film's songs. It's since several revivals on Broadway and Steven Spielberg released another film adaptation of the stage musical in 2021, starring Rachel Zegler as Maria and Ariana DeBose as Anita.
In 1995, Selena recorded her own version of "A Boy Like That," which was released posthumously in 1996.
