Behind the ‘Maestro’ biopic are a raft of theater stars supporting the story of Leonard Bernstein

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Leonard Bernstein was a towering figure on Broadway. So it seems only fitting that the new biopic of him leans on the Great White Way to get the story right. Bradley Cooper’s movie “Maestro” is studded with theater stars — 29 of the 38 principal cast members have a background in the theater, including Gideon Glick, Michael Urie, Greg Hildreth, Nick Blaemire, Ryan Steele, Zachary Booth and Gaby Diaz. Casting director Shayna Markowitz said she didn’t necessarily set out to land theater pros but it came naturally when she was trying to populate Bernstein’s world authentically.