Spielberg Spotted On UWS For 'West Side Story' Film Shoot

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A stretch of West 107th Street on the Upper West Side was transported back to the 1950s this week as director Steven Spielberg's production of "West Side Story" filmed scenes at the Church of the Ascension.

The award-winning director behind countless Hollywood blockbusters even took some time for an audience with the "mayor" of the block, resident Evelyn Lanoix told Patch. Lanoix's mother Kathy, the longtime president of the West 107th Street Block Association, beckoned Spielberg over to her building's stoop as the director moved between his trailer and a film set.

Lanoix said she had to point out Spielberg to her mother, who is in her 90s and doesn't go to movies.

"I said 'oh that's the director,' so she pointed and said 'hey you, come overe here," Lanoix told Patch. "He said 'sure' and was very very nice. He just came over and chit chatted with her about how she should be in the movies and of course she tried to get on his movie set, but he said maybe the next one."

The entire block of West 107th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue was lined with classic cars and old-school storefronts during the Tuesday film shoot. Lanoix said that the crew set up a makeshift wall, which blocked views of the actors at work, but she could still hear the cast singing "Maria," one of the musical's big numbers.

Scenes were filmed inside the Church of the Ascension, which residents couldn't see, and outside on the block. Most of the block's buildings are era-appropriate for the musical's setting, and old-school buses and trucks were placed in front of newly-renovated buildings to hide them, Lanoix said.

"It was [exciting], everybody was very happy. You know how it is, shooting in NYC is always a little disruptive, but it's worth it because everybody comes around and they ahve a good time. You see neighbors that you haven't seen in a while," Lanoix said.

The film crew cleaned the block up on Wednesday and the street was returned to present day.

Spielberg's "West Side Story" is scheduled for a December 2020 release. The film stars Ansel Elgort — a graduate of the Upper West Side's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School — as Tony and 17-year-old newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria.

Check out some photos of the film set below, courtesy of Evelyn Lanoix: