On February 14, the New York Philharmonic will perform selections from the Academy Award-nominated film “Maestro,” which chronicles the life of former music director Leonard Bernstein. Star and director Bradley Cooper will take part in a discussion at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall following the film.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the music director of Metropolitan Opera, who oversaw the soundtrack and tutored Cooper for the film, will conduct the concert in his New York Philharmonic debut and participate in the discussion, the orchestra announced on Wednesday.
West Side Story, Candide, On the Town, Trouble in Tahiti, A Quiet Place, Chichester Psalms, and Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety” and Symphony No. 3 “Kaddish” are among the selections from the program.
Maestro” had seven Oscar nominations, with Cooper receiving nominations for both best actor and best picture.
Cooper, a former movie star who is now a filmmaker, received his nomination on Tuesday, but he has been vying for the title of best director since he was not selected for the award for 2018’s “A Star Is Born.” Cooper’s work in front of the camera has dominated his awards campaign.
Critiques of his work on “Maestro” have also been voiced. When the teaser trailer for “Maestro” debuted in August, Cooper stirred much criticism for his portrayal of Bernstein.
People on social media hurried to draw attention to Cooper’s prosthetic nose from the movie and the fact that, unlike Bernstein, he is not Jewish.
In an interview with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King in November, Cooper responded to the criticism, stating he wasn’t phased by it and noting that prosthetics were required to play Bernstein in the movie truthfully
The truth is I’d done this whole project out of love, and it’s so clear to me where (my intentions) come from,” Cooper stated. Since my nose and Lenny’s are so similar, the prosthetic feels a lot like silk. And I reasoned, “Perhaps we don’t have to do it.” However, it all comes down to balance, and my chin and lips are nothing like Lenny’s. Additionally, it didn’t appear correct
