Jennifer Lopez Realizes Childhood Dream with Musical Debut at the Sundance Film Festival 

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Credit: By dvsross - GLAAD 2014 - Jennifer Lopez - Casper

The Latina multi-hyphenated star, Jennifer Lopez, stood before an audience at the Sundance Film Festival, her voice steady but brimming with emotion. The moment had been a lifetime in the making. After years of closed doors, near misses, and industry skepticism, she finally starred in a film musical: Kiss of the Spider Woman. 

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‘i have been waiting for this my whole life’ – #jenniferlopez discusses what it was like reading the #kissofthespiderwoman script for the first time at thr’s studio in park city

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The journey had been anything but effortless. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Lopez recalled how she had auditioned for Evita (1996), Chicago (2002), and Nine (2009), only to face rejection at every turn. “I was very close for Nine,” she admitted. The roles ultimately went to Madonna, Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Nicole Kidman, and other Hollywood darlings. “There were so many things I always hoped I could do, but it just wasn’t the right time. Now it is.” 

Based on Manuel Puig’s novel, the film is set in an Argentine prison during the country’s military dictatorship. The story follows two cellmates — Luis Molina (Tonatiuh), imprisoned for his relationship with another man, and Valentín Arregui (Diego Luna), a political prisoner resisting the regime. To escape the brutality of their confinement, Molina recounts the films of his favorite diva, Ingrid Luna — a role that sees Lopez not only embody a screen siren but also take on the enigmatic title character. 

Jennifer Lopez Shares Her Excitement about Musicals at the Sundance FIlm Festival

For Lopez, musicals were the reason she had pursued entertainment in the first place. During a post-screening Q&A in Park City, she shared how her love for the art form began as a child, watching West Side Story with her mother. “She would sit me down in front of the TV once a year when it came on. I was hypnotized. I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’” 

That dream had remained just out of reach until director Bill Condon changed everything. The Dreamgirls filmmaker had written Kiss of the Spider Woman with Lopez in mind, crafting the role specifically for her. When the script arrived, she could hardly believe it. “I thought, ‘He wants me to do this? He wants me to sing?’” 

The Sundance crowd responded in kind, rising to their feet as the credits rolled. For Lopez, the ovation was the culmination of decades of persistence. “I have waited my whole life for this,” she told the audience, tears welling in her eyes. 

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