Maestro Fact vs Fiction: The True Story of Leonard Bernstein & Felicia Montealegre

Maestro, the new Leonard Bernstein biopic directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, is dazzling audiences with its stunning visuals, impeccable sound design, and award-worthy performances. Some were surprised, however, that this portrait of such a major cultural icon actually spends a lot of time focusing on someone else: Leonard’s wife, Felicia. Let’s take a deeper look at the real-life stories of Leonard and Felicia as individuals and their relationship to unpack why Cooper and co-writer John Singer chose this framing, and analyze how this choice to bring her to the forefront changes the tone of the story.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 Maestro, explained
00:33 Becoming Leonard Bernstein
03:48 His not-so-hidden identity
06:51 The truth about their marriage
09:22 The wrap up

CREDITS
Executive Producers: Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough
Chief Creative Director: Susannah McCullough
Associate Producer: Tyler Allen
Writer: Jessica Babineaux
Narrator: Jessica Babineaux
Video Editor: Carson Bradley