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    A Month After Stephen Sondheim’s Death, "West Side Story" Star Rachel Zegler Revealed He Watched Her Sing "I Feel Pretty" On Set: "It Was Just Too Much For Me To Handle"

    "I was so nervous."

    Morgan Sloss
    by Morgan Sloss

    BuzzFeed Staff

    If I do say so myself, West Side Story is a revelation. The singing! The dancing! The representation! I just can’t get enough!

    20th Century Studios

    A few weeks ago, BuzzFeed got to chat with Rachel Zegler, who totally killed it as Maria.

    Rachel smiles on the red carpet in a strapless ballgown
    Charley Gallay / Getty Images for 20th Century Studios

    She opened up about filming the movie and said that while "there’s too many [favorite behind-the-scenes memories] to count," she loved when two legends visited her on set.

    20th Century Studios

    "Something that’s been on my mind is when Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Sondheim were both on set when I was doing 'I Feel Pretty,'" she told BuzzFeed.

    Roy Rochlin / Getty Images

    "I couldn’t bring myself to go over to either of them because I was so nervous," she said, adding that because she’s from New Jersey, "Bruce Springsteen is The Boss, my hero, and Stephen Sondheim is the reason I love musical theater."

    Bruce Glikas / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    "So, the fact that he was watching me that day, singing his lyrics, it was just too much for me to handle, and I couldn't go up to either of them," she concluded.

    Stephen, who wrote the lyrics for the 1957 West Side Story musical, died last month at the age of 91.

    Fred R. Conrad / Getty Images

    In a tribute post shared shortly after his death, Rachel wrote, "My life would be nothing without Stephen Sondheim’s music. One of my first memories of musical theatre exposure was listening to Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone sing 'A Little Priest' in the 2005 revival of Sweeney Todd. And the rest, as they say, is history."

    "Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics to West Side Story when he was in his early 20s. It was his first professional gig. And this re-imagination of West Side Story is mine. That connection is truly everything to me. And every moment I was able to spend with Steve is a true blessing to me."

    Thanks for chatting with us, Rachel! You can check out our full interview here.