Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders braved the cold Sunday morning in hopes of securing a seat at the highly-anticipated panel with cast and director of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” held at the Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge, located off Heber Avenue and Main Street. The event hosted cast members Jennifer Lopez, Tonatiuh and writer-director Bill Condon for a discussion as part of the “Los Angeles Times Talks” during this year’s Sundance Film Festival.The movie-musical adaptation of Broadway’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” makes its world premiere Sunday night at the Eccles Theatre before releasing in theaters. Originally a novel by Manuel Puig, which was adapted into a 1985 film and later a musical, the film is a favorite of many. For Condon, the attraction to “Kiss of the Spider Woman” began with the novel, followed by the 1985 film, in which William Hurt portrayed a gay character and won an Oscar. “As a young gay man, it was a very, very influential movie,” he said. Condon said he also found the 1993 musical adaptation to be groundbreaking, not only for its portrayal of a gay relationship but also for the brutal realities of prison life portrayed in a musical — something only talents like “Kander, Ebb and Harold Prince” could have accomplished, he said. Later, after working on the screenplay for the 2002 film adaptation of the musical “Chicago,” Condon said he felt that “Kiss of the Spider Woman” was even more deserving of being adapted into a film, as its story was inherently cinematic. “I had a revelation,” Condon said, noting how the world had slowly caught up to the “attitudes” in the book — attitudes that weren’t fully reflected in earlier adaptations because society wasn’t ready for them. The culmination of these experiences ultimately inspired him to revisit the story.Lopez’ first encounter with “Kiss of the Spider Woman” was through Condon’s script, having never seen the Broadway production, read the novel or watched the original film. Later, while reading the script, she recalled feeling as though she was born to play the role, a sensation she had never felt before. For both Lopez and Tonatiuh, the project has allowed them to explore areas of their own identities. Lopez, reflecting on her childhood in the Bronx, described how musicals inspired her to dream outside of her surroundings. “Everything was, as I say, brown and brick and gray, and to look at these musicals with my mother, and see them and go, ‘There’s a colorful world out there somewhere. I want to go and get it and see it,'” said Lopez. “It helped me to dream and to understand that there was something more beautiful than the existence that I was living, even though I had a very nice upbringing with my mom and my dad, my family, but that there was something bigger out there and more beautiful, and that helped me to cultivate my dreams.”For Lopez, the power of love and storytelling lies at the heart of “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”“This movie, for me, really says that we can love. It doesn’t matter who you are or how different you are, how far apart the divide is, that we can still find, if we just open ourselves to seeing the human in front of us, we can love them, we can accept them,” said Lopez. “That’s what, to me, this movie is about.”Tonatiuh — who aside from being an actor is also known as an involved activist — said that for him politics is what got him into acting. “My ethos is (that) culture changes faster than policy, and if we can craft a vision for our culture, policy will follow,” Tonatiuh said.He explained that for him, the biggest takeaway that he hopes audiences will have is that the film is a love letter to queer people. “I think that the gift that I was given was the ability to allow my spirit to be the spectrum,” he said, reflecting on how his character, Molina, becomes the hero of his own story as he falls in love. Condon addressed the recent policy made by the new presidential administration that, by law, only recognizes two genders in the United States, male and female. He noted that such political statements prompt a response in real life but also emphasized the power of film in real life, explaining that when people have intimate experiences with characters, it can change minds. “So that, I thought, was kind of the point of this whole thing,” said Condon. “That you both escape and you are enriched by the experience of movies.”“I want to encourage everybody who watches it to realize that you are the hero of your own story, and you get to decide how you present at any point, at any time. It’s all available to you and you’re not alone,” said Tonatiuh. “I know that the next four years, they’re going to be very difficult for our community, and it just makes me really happy to know that something like this can be a safe space for you, because we love you.”‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ in-person screenings11:15 p.m., Jan. 27. Library Centre Theatre (Open Caption) 8:30 a.m., Jan. 29. The Ray Theatre 2:30 p.m., Jan. 30. The Ray Theatre 8:30 p.m., Jan. 31. Rose Wagner Centre 9 a.m., Feb. 2. Megaplex Redstone -1OnlineN/AThe post ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ director and cast revive the musical for today’s audiences appeared first on Park Record.