Leonard Bernstein was one of the most prolific composers and conductors of the 20th century. His influence in music and beyond cannot be denied. A new biographical film, Maestro, out for a limited release in December 2023 before its Netflix debut, is telling his story with an emphasis on the woman behind him for his artistic journey.
Leonard married Felicia Montealegre Bernstein in 1951 but had multiple affairs with both men and women during their relationship. Maestro explores this openly. Leonard and Felicia’s three children Jamie, Nina, and Alexander Bernstein revealed in an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning that their mom was not in the dark about their father’s sexuality.
Felicia was not naive about her husband’s sexuality. "She knew exactly what the deal was," Jamie explained. She went into their marriage with eyes wide open.
"They obviously loved each other to death," Alexander stated. "They never fought in front of us. We never saw any darkness. We felt a lot. They kept everything very well tidied and pretty well hidden."
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Felicia died at a relatively young age, 56, from lung cancer in 1978. Jamie cannot help but speculate if the stress of her unconventional marriage was a contributing factor.
"I feel like it cost her everything to stick with it," she mused. "It was really tough for her, and I think it contributed to her early death, in a way."
A scene in the movie explains that even though Felicia was aware of her husband’s affairs, that does not mean Leonard was open about it with his children. Jamie, played by Maya Hawke, asks her father outright if the rumors were true. He denied it.
It was important to Maestro director, cowriter, and star Bradley Cooper to not straight-wash Leonard’s life. The creatives behind this film, such as producers Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Bradley himself, consider this film more a love letter to Leonard and Felicia’s marriage than a traditional biography. In fact, Carey Mulligan, the actress who plays Felicia, receives top billing in the credits.
Bradley’s casting as Leonard and his use of a prosthetic nose came under fire on social media when images from the project were released. Many took issue with a non-Jewish person portraying a prominent Jewish figure. Leonard’s real life kids came to his defense. “It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose,” they stated. “Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that.”
