Return to AARO
There are two ways to approach a classic piece of modern musical theatre such as "West Side Story." The first is to re- invent the production, as was done recently by the touring company that presented a darker, more subtextual "Carousel." The other, more common way, is to re-create the production as it was originally mounted. Both ways have their advantages, though I must admit I tend to find more excitement in the former than the latter.
"West Side Story," though, is a show that has been produced in many varied ways, with much having been re-invented in subsequent productions, and there is a joy in watching a company so thoroughly return to the original, re-instating almost all of the original staging, choreography and visual elements. With a few exceptions, this show, which those who had seen the original production on Broadway say is nearly a perfect match, has done a very good job in capturing the original's exuberance and excitement. Alan Johnson has lovingly reproduced the original directon and choreography of Jerome Robbins, and Campbell Baird has given us a very accurate re-creation of the original set design.
This touring company has put together a very solid show, although the opening night audiences were treated to four unexpected understudies, including the integral roles of Tony and Anita. The results were mixed. Tony, played by Steven Pasquale, who ordinarily plays the smaller part of Gee-Tar, is vocally gifted, though his power, both in voice and in acting, leaves a bit to be desired. On the other hand, Anita, played by Michelle DeJean, who ordinarily plays the chorus role of Consuelo, is the vocal and acting equivalent of a firecracker and nearly outpaces the other members of the cast.
Sparkling performances also came from Sharen Camille in the role of Maria, Christian Borle in the role of Riff, and Devin Albert in the role of Bernardo. Ms. Camille has a beautiful voice that is matched only by her fresh performance of the modern Juliet. Also impressive were the members of the Jets and the Sharks, who sang and danced the explosive group numbers with the energy of an A-bomb. Less than impressive were the womens chorus, especially in their presentations of "America" and "I Feel Pretty." They were equally as energetic, but the diction through their thick Puerto Rican accents was atrocious, and made a lot of the famed words incomprehensible.
Technically, Mr. Baird's scene design and Natasha Katz' lighting design were powerful, just as they originally were almost forty years ago. Irene Sharaff's costumes were perfectly in the period, and Donald Chan's musical direction was a perfect compliment to the fine voices of the cast. The only technical flubs came from the over-modulation of the voices in Otts Munderloh sound design, though some of those problems were remedied by the second act.
Overall, this was an enjoyable production, and those with less of a critical demand for originality would probably give more credit to this version of "West Side Story" than I, but there's something that keeps nagging at me that I am truly at a loss to explain. It was a fine evening of theatre buoyed by the singing, acting and dancing of Maria and Anita, even with the less-than- stellar performances of Tony and the women's chorus. It was a beautiful re-creation of a work that was influential in its day. It's also interesting to those who never got a chance to see the original production and want to discover what it was that made the show a classic. Ultimately, though, the movie also did a good job of showing off the power of the original production, and makes this presentation just a little bit unnecessary. Opening night audiences nearly offered a standing ovation, so the popular vote is against my small trepidations. For those interested in a generally fine performance of an American classic, then this show is for you.
Production Details:
"West Side Story" by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and
Stephen Sondheim
Gammage Theatre, Tempe
965-3434
$27.50 to $45
October 8th-13th, 1996
Return to AARO