West Side Story
Tickets from $59 Buy Tickets
Cititour.com Review
“Boy, boy, crazy boy.” That was the nearly unanimous reaction to Dutch director Ivo van Hove’s announcement that he would be tackling the classic, uber-American 1956 musical “West Side Story.” Projections instead of traditional scenery? New choreography (by the modern dance queen Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker) instead of the seemingly irreplaceable dances by the late Jerome Robbins? The elimination of the charming song “I Feel Pretty”? Should the entrance of the Broadway Theatre now have a sign saying “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter” above its front door?
No way! If anything, Van Hove’s mostly stunning production should give us all hope that any musical, no matter how beloved, can be made relevant -- never mind thrilling -- for 21st-century audiences!
Yes, this is admittedly not a “West Side Story” designed to please musical theater purists, especially as it’s not always clear (in large part due to AnD’Huys contemporary costumes and Luke Halls’ mostly distracting videos) in which era this timeless tale now takes place. Nonetheless, the production both sharpens and darkens the heart of Arthur Laurents’ update of “Romeo & Juliet,” reminding us all too painfully of the personal and societal costs of gang violence as the war between the now racially-mixed Jets and primarily Latinx Sharks takes its ever-increasing toll on its young participants.
The phenomenal cast – led by the equally wonderful Isaac Powell (as Tony) and Shereen Pimentel (as Maria) -- does complete justice to Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s glorious, multi-layered score. Powell’s tenor is ideally suited to “Maria” and “Something’s Coming” and the pair’s duets on “Tonight” and “One Hand, One Heart” are absolutely gorgeous. In addition, Pimentel’s beautiful and heartfelt “I Have a Love,” sung in glorious counterpoint to the fiery “A Boy Like That,” by the excellent Yesenia Ayala (who movingly portrays the protective if free-spirited Anita) earned a well-deserved ovation at my performance.
And rarely have I seen such intense, exciting, and admittedly dangerous choreography – brilliantly mixing elements of modern-day modern dance with Robbins’ more classical, ballet-oriented approach – performed with such a striking combination of abandon and precision. It’s a testament to the training of such super-skilled performers as Amar Ramasar (as Bernardo), Dharon E. Jones (as Riff) and Elijah A. Carter (as Action) that they’re still standing at the show’s curtain call (never mind, doing two-show days).
Even the so-called adult roles have more gravitas than usual, thanks to the first-rate performances of Daniel Oreskes as the frustrated yet loving Doc; Thomas Jay Ryan as the bigoted Lieutenant Shrank; Pippa Pearthree as the well-meaning teacher Glad Hand; and Danny Wolohan as the hard-nosed cop Krupke. (For the record, the Jets’ sarcastic plea to him, “Gee, Officer Krupke,” is quite well performed, and there’s no denying the cleverness of Sondheim’s lyrics, but I still feel the song somehow seems to belong to a different show.)
Mind you, everything I’ve mentioned will have more resonance if you can force yourself to focus on the primarily scenery-less stage of the theater, even if the cast can look a bit like stick figures depending on where you sit. Indeed, Van Hove and designer Jan Versweyveld’s decision to create a couple of doll-house-sized sets and constantly fill the giant back wall with an enormous video screen, showing us everything from the so-called “outside world” to close-ups of the performers, is misguided at best. Primarily, these images distract the audience from the magnificent work being done beneath them, while adding very little to the proceedings. Still, the most important thing to realize is, thanks to Van Hove, that this incredible “Story” goes on, hopefully bringing new theatergoers into the fold and giving more than enough pleasure to veteran viewers to ensure a long run.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://www.westsidestorybway.com
Open/Close Dates
Opening 2/20/2020
Closing Open-ended
Theatre Info
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Map
Comments
Sign up for our newsletter !