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  • community event
  • live music
  • picnics allowed

THURSDAY’S 6/24 SCREENING OF “RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT” IS SOLD OUT.

DUE TO THE ONGOING IMPLICATIONS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WE HAVE HAD TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF OUR AUDIENCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS THE COMFORT LEVEL OF OUR GENEROUS VENUE HOSTS. ALL OF OUR EVENTS WILL REQUIRE AN RSVP/TICKET FOR ENTRY THIS SUMMER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. AS THE SEASON GOES ON, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR AUDIENCE SIZE IN A SAFE MANNER. OUR EVENTS WILL BE RUNNING WEEKLY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 9TH AND RSVPs WILL OPEN THE MONDAY OF THE EVENT AT 10 AM EST. PLEASE CHECK EACH FILM PAGE FOR RSVP DETAILS AND SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER TO STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL EVENTS.  WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US FOR A FILM SCREENING THIS SUMMER! 

 

ABOUT THE FILM:

Over a 70+ year career, Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become a celebrated and beloved actor, one of the rare EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Award Winners of our time.  Born into poverty on a Puerto Rican farm, Moreno and her seamstress mother immigrated to New York City when Moreno was five years old. After studying dance and performing on Broadway, Moreno was cast as any ethnic minority the Hollywood studios needed filled, be it Polynesian, Native American or Egyptian. Despite becoming the first Latina actress to win an Academy Award for her role as Anita in “West Side Story” (1961), the studios continued to offer Moreno lesser roles as stereotypical ethnic minorities, ignoring her proven talent.

Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It illuminates the humor and the grace of Moreno, as well as lesser-known struggles faced on her path to stardom, including pernicious Hollywood sexism and abuse, a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and serious depression a year before she emerged an Oscar winner. Moreno’s talent and resilience triumphed over adversity, as she broke barriers, fought for representation and forged the path for new generations of artists.

 

Photographs and/or video will be taken at this event. Images may be used by newportFILM for promotional purposes. 

 

6:30 PM: Venue Opens
7:30 PM: Live Music By Mel
8:30 PM: Film
Run time: 89 mins
Directors: Mariem Pérez Riera
Producers: Mariem Pérez Riera & Brent Miller, p.g.a.
Cast: George Chakiris, Héctor Elizondo, Gloria Estefan, Tom Fontana, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Eva Longoria, Justina Machado, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno, and Karen Olivo
Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It
This is a past event

This paean to the trailblazing Puerto Rican actress is also a case study in the highs and lows of showbiz for a woman of color.

The New York Times

From "West Side Story" to Marlon Brando, the Puerto Rican-American icon gets an illuminating, peppy, and reverent documentary.

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