Show & Tell Review: West Side Story

Yesterday I had three worries: I would be confused by the Spanish dialogue and lyrics, I would be distracted with my own preconceptions from the movie, and I would be disappointed with the execution of Jerome Robbins’ fantastic choreography, also danced by prestigious ballet companies from Paris to New York.  Today I have one worry: the cast of West Side Story will be in Newark, NJ before I manage to see the show again. 

Initially produced through collaboration by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Robbins in 1957, West Side Story ran on Broadway for over 700 performances before touring the nation. The show was reintroduced on Broadway in 1980 and again in 2009, and although the production maintained the choreography, lighting, and design from the premiere, the language was tweaked to include Spanish. The final version traversing America today smoothly blends the more modern and culturally accurate dual languages with Jerome Robbins’ original choreography and Shakespeare’s iconic lovers’ tragedy: Romeo and Juliet.

Matthew Hydzik and Evy Ortiz, who play Tony and Maria respectively, effortlessly embodied these emotionally charged roles and beautifully performed the numerous songs that are so important to the success of the production.  Michelle Aravena radiated a perfectly cheeky wit as Anita and danced throughout the show with an equally impressionable spark. All of the classic songs from “I Feel Pretty” to “Tonight,” “America,” and “Jet Song” were presented without a hint of tiredness or cliché, providing a fresh performance for even those who have inadvertently memorized the show. The mischievous self-analysis by the Jets in “Gee, Officer Krupke” is purely hilarious and was one of my favorite numbers. Action, played by John Drake, leads the gang through euphemistically peppered possibilities of their non-traditional upbringings, and indulges the audience in a much-appreciated comedic break from the emotionally intense second act. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the soft images and lyrical dancing of “Somewhere” showcased the balletic background of many of the cast members, not to mention the power of Jerome Robbins’ incredible choreography. Set against an unadulterated white backdrop, the artistry of the voices and dancing controlled the stage sans messy mechanized machinery or elaborate distractions.

         
I loved the show, and as I already insinuated, all three of my worries were quickly quelled. While any and all Spanish beyond a simple “sí” seems esoteric to my decidedly non-Latin ears, the foreign dialogue and lyrics infused in the show added authenticity to the cultural struggle and didn’t detract from the storyline comprehension at all. Deliberate and well-timed mispronunciation of Spanish phrases by Tony and the Jets even provided a humorous aspect to the social division. 

         
My second fear of the evening, while technically obsolete as the stage version was made prior to the film adaption, was also eradicated after the first few scenes. As Maria twirled her way into “Dance at the Gym”, the image created by the lighting, costuming, set, and choreography eerily mimicked the slightly psychedelic graphic effect from the move. A minor detail, yes, but certainly worth commending in a world where each light and sound effect is agonized over and analyzed thoroughly. 

         
My final and most pressing fear was also entirely reversed from the very first scene. The Jets and Sharks established their territory and physical prowess with a balance of grace and athleticism only danced by those with classical training, and set a precedent for the energy and power of the rest of the show. Backed by the West Side Story Orchestra, the entire cast fulfilled Jerome Robbins’ timeless choreography and ameliorated all lingering worries from my mind. The orchestra, conducted by John O’Neil and composed of touring musicians as well as local musicians, was splendid, and contributed to the humor, drama, and tension of the show without ever uttering a single syllable.

           

The show is, in a word, spectacular. So take Riff’s advice, “play it cool,” and buy your gang a ticket. 

Show & Tell Review: West Side Story

Transport the classic romance and tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to 1950s New York amidst the rag-tag gangs who clashed over rights to their territory, and you find West Side Story. The association is purposeful, the original creators intended for their story to emulate Shakespeare’s beloved classic.

Last night, West Side Story made its way to the Fox Cities P.A.C. and was warmly welcomed by an eager audience. The cast was superb, the costumes and set were first-class, and the music was outstanding. The Fox Cities was privileged to be presented with an updated version of the classic musical, revived onstage in 2009. This adaptation was Arthur Laurents’ (the author of the book for the original 1957 production) attempt at making the story more modern and authentic. To do so, choreography was slightly modified and more of the script has been translated into Spanish.

The story’s tension was felt as soon as the curtain rose. The story of two conflicting gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, whose rivalry was born not just from wanting control of the same streets, but from the ignorance and racism between Puerto Ricans and Americans in New York at that time, was portrayed swiftly and effectively. The Center’s audience was immediately pulled into the clash and responded with a full range of emotions as well as enthusiastic applause.

Leonard Bernstein's and Stephen Sondheim’s original score is an absolute masterpiece.

When it was first being produced Bernstein was told that West Side Story was an impossible project, that no one would be able to sing the complicated rhythms and wide ranging songs. Not only has that supposition been disproved time and again over the decades, but last night in the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center the current cast of West Side Story demonstrated just how wrong those nay-sayers were. The difficult songs were played and sung masterfully, making it appear to an unsuspecting audience as if this musical’s score were easy and not the truth behind it: that they were performing musical acrobatics.

Tony and Maria, West Side Story’s Romeo and Juliet, portrayed their love story beautifully. During the scene depicting Tony (played by Matthew Hydzik) and Maria’s (played by Evy Ortiz) first meeting, the audience was spellbound, completely drawn into the young couple’s ignited love. As they sang the duet “Tonight” on Maria’s balcony, their immediate and consuming love for each other was practically palpable. Later in the show, when the two were reunited after the Jets and Sharks ill-fated rumble, a spell-binding ballet accompanied their beautiful exchange of “Somewhere”.

Other characters drew strong reactions from the audience as well. Officer Krupke and Lieutenant Schrank (Wally Dunn and Mike Boland) played their judgmental, bigoted parts so well; the audience hated them just as much as the Jets did. Anita (played by Michelle Aravena) on the other hand, pulled on viewer’s hearts as she displayed raw and real emotions when her character was pulled between love for Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, and a more level-headed understanding of love and life than her cohorts. Anita kept many laughing and crying right along with her through her passionate dialogue and songs telling the tumultuous tale.

Every piece of West Side Story’s presentation enhanced their telling of the romance of Tony and Maria, fixed within the drama between the Jets and the Sharks. The sets effectively created the mood of each scene. The music, both performed to and as background, drew watchers into the emotion of every character. The choreography, most of it unchanged from the original production, was masterful and exact and successfully depicted the abundance of action.

**Spoiler Alert!**

As the musical reached its climax, you could almost feel the audience collectively holding their breath. When Tony sought out Bernardo’s assistant, Chino, in the streets, believing his beloved Maria to be dead, his passionate screams were heart-wrenching. A momentary sigh of relief was felt as Tony spotted Maria, and realized her being shot by Chino was all a lie. And as they ran to each other, the audience gasped as one being when Chino fired his gun, killing Tony in cold blood.

When the musical quickly came to its close on the final scene last night, it was as if the viewers were afraid to move from their seats. The beautiful love story of Tony and Maria, surrounded by tension, and ending in heartache for so many, seemed almost more than they could bear. If you love to be drawn into a story heart and soul, if you don’t mind your laughter being followed by tears; you will love West Side Story.

Parental Note:

Parents should be forewarned that, if this musical were a movie, it would have a PG-13 rating, due to suggestive lyrics, crude gestures, sensuality, and racist slurs. It is much more risqué and provocative than the film version.

Show & Tell Review: Doubt: A Parable

I believe it is the TV show “Law & Order” that uses the advertising tagline of “Ripped from the headlines.” Although first written in 2004, writer John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable could very easily use the exact same marketing line. With the current events that have occurred in the last six months or so – Bernie Fine, Jerry Sandusky, and the Milwaukee Catholic church scandals to name a few - Shanley’s play proves to be incredibly prescient.

The Montana Repertory Theatre did an excellent job bringing a difficult story to life on the stage of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. The story takes place in the Bronx, during the 1964 school year. Actor Brendan Shanahan performs admirably as Father Flynn, a priest accused of having an “unhealthy relationship” with an 8th grade boy. Suzy Hunt does an amazing job as Sister Aloysius, his accuser. The crux of story revolves around the actions of Father Flynn. Sister Aloysius believes he has sexually abused an 8th grade boy and is determined to prove it. Heavily hamstrung by the Church’s power structure and society’s beliefs in general, Sister Aloysius does what she can to get Father Flynn to admit his wrongdoing and to put a stop to his actions.

The play opens with Father Flynn at the pulpit giving a sermon that centers around doubt. If a theater goer has no idea about the general story of the play, the sermon proves to be an excellent piece of foreshadowing. If a theater goer does have that knowledge, the sermon immediately gets your mind thinking about what this man has done and how personal his sermon is. It works as an excellent way to draw the audience in from the get go. From the opening moments, I was sucked in. The rest of the play did not disappoint.

Though the subject matter of the play is difficult and uncomfortable, it is presented on stage with a tastefulness that is far from offensive. The abuse “act” does not occur on stage. There are no lurid descriptions. There is no offensive language. Just a good, albeit tragic, story.

Going into this performance I was expecting a heavy, depressing story. I had serious questions about how the topic of sexual abuse was going to be presented. In my mind I could see it going 800 different directions. And most of those were bad. I should have learned by now that the Fox Cities P.A.C. would allow for nothing worse than a great production. The Montana Rep did an excellent job with Shanley’s play, which on the surface, appears to be about a priest that molests a boy. Having seen the play, it is about so much more – faith, trust, friendship, the church, race, parenting, teaching, women’s place in society, moral obligations, perseverance, monsters, and more. Doubt: A Parable is set in 1964, but it could easily be updated to 2012. All it would need is a few costume changes and the nuns to be depicted as teachers. Everything else could pretty much remain the same. It would be just as powerful.

The scenery used for the play is definitely minimalist. A desk, two chairs, and a bookshelf remain onstage for the duration and are used for Sister Aloysius’ office. Fifteen feet away are two benches and two small bushes used to represent a courtyard area. A back drop hangs behind the set pieces to close off the rest of the stage. It’s this backdrop, along with some good lighting, that provided some of the most poignant moments of the play. There were times during the play where the backdrop acted as a mirror and reflected the actors onstage. It seemed to provide a commentary to the conversations occurring - characters needed to look at themselves in the context of what they were saying. It was one more subtle layer added to what the play was about. 

Lighting was used well throughout. It almost seemed to reflect the mood of each scene. It was more subdue during personal conversations and became brightly intense during tense discussions, especially during the courtroom drama-like climax. (It wasn’t set in a courtroom but the movie buff in me wanted so badly for Father Flynn to shout, “You can’t handle the truth!”) I think the lighting also served to enhance the feeling of loneliness of Sister Aloysius and her fellow nun Sister James. The characters, sat spotlighted in one small area while the rest of the stage remained ominously dark.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’ll come right out and say it… I really enjoyed the performance. A tough subject to be sure, but it was handled in a humanistic manner that screamed “real life.” The touches of humor that ran throughout were as surprising as they were well-placed, and worked well in balancing out the heavy issues being tackled. If you ever get a chance to see a performance of Doubt: A Parable, I recommend you go. It won’t necessarily be what you’d expect, but it will be a good show.

Show & Tell at the Fox Cities P.A.C. – Deadline Sept. 6



The deadline is fast approaching to apply for this season’s community reviewer program, Show & Tell. Each year, we select a handful of people to be the voice of the community on the Center’s blog. Reviewers get two complimentary tickets to assigned shows and then post their reactions online. Not sure what we are looking for? Click here for some examples from last season’s Community Reviewers.

In past seasons, reviewers have always written their reviews following the show. This year, Show & Tell will take your opinions to the next level by incorporating some video and Twitter reviews too. Reviewers can even share the experience with a youngster and help them grow up in the arts. So whether you love to write, are addicted to Twitter, want your kids to experience the theater or star in a video review, Show & Tell has the right tool to tell everyone about performances at the Fox Cities P.A.C.

The deadline for Show & Tell is Tuesday, September 6. Click here to learn more and apply today!