Musical revival a fresh, new take on old classic
Inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story is a modern version of the romantic tragedy and has been a popular musical since its first production in 1957. Although the current production of West Side Story is the second revival of the original musical, it is definitely the best so far and is a musical must-see.Opening on the streets of New York City in the 1950s, West Side Story focuses on the rivalry between two gangs - the Jets and the Sharks. The Jets, a rebellious group of light-skinned teenage boys, do not like the idea of sharing their territory with any new gang, especially not the Sharks, a group of recently immigrated Puerto Ricans. Problems arise when one of the Shark girls, Maria, falls in love with a loyal Jet, Tony. Like Romeo and Juliet, Maria and Tony are natural-born enemies sharing a forbidden love.
In this new rendition of West Side Story, some of the lyrics are different from the original songs. To give this musical a more realistic feel, some of the songs sung by the Puerto Ricans, like "I Feel Pretty" and "Tonight," are now in Spanish. While it may be confusing at times, the Spanish phrases are understandable, as the actors' strong physical performances allows the audience to follow the plot fluidly. This rendition also has more dancing than ever before, and it definitely makes the show more enjoyable to watch. The Jets are all especially well-trained dancers, which makes the concept of pirouetting gangsters significantly more believable.
Even though this is the second revival of the musical, much of its original appeal is still present. Leonard Bernstein's musical score is hard to beat, as each song is rich with feeling and captures the dark side of the New York streets. The lyrics, written by Stephen Sondheim (Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd), are clever and evoke an array of emotions, from aggressive and violent to intimate and tender. One of his best pieces from the original, "Gee, Officer Krupke," is full of wit and is one of the cast's best performed songs.
Very rarely does Broadway produce a classic musical this good, and to miss it would be a loss.
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