A Fresh, Hip-Hop Take on West Side Story

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 12:57am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okBgomoCd6I

Updated On: 9/5/09 at 12:57 AM

[iWannaBEaSedaris]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 1:11am

Wow, I actually kind of like it. It makes me wonder what the revival would be like if it had a soul.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 1:52am

that is really cool, I kinda like the idea of a hip-hop spin on WSS. Not the songs really, but the choreography.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 7:27am

And yet there's still a lot of Jerome Robbins movement in it.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 8:57am

Absolutely, PalJoey... the choreographer definitely used Jerome Robbins original foundation for the base on this fresh (and contemporary) approach.

Oh, the mind wanders into thinking what this bland current revival could have been IF those long ago plants to completely re-invent WEST SIDE STORY would have been kept.

Watching this just now totally validates that a 'new' interpretation CAN work.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 10:39am

I would love to see an entire production like this, actually.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 11:13am

I thought this was really exciting and fresh. They managed to be innovative and modern while still being true to the Robbins original. If only the current revival had a director that could think like this...
Updated On: 9/5/09 at 11:13 AM

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 5:50pm

Are you listening, Arthur? Or do you still struggle to understand that anyone has a different opinion?

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 5:59pm

God, I hope that in my lifetime, I will be able to see West Side Story like this on the Broadway stage.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 6:06pm

WOW! Now with dancing like that I would definitely be revisiting WSS over and over!

[winston89]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 7:07pm

I loved the fusion of more modern dance with the classic Broadway dance style. I just thought the whole thing was very good.

I just have one question. I do know that it was very clear that when there was singing it was to one of the recordings of the show. But, I was just wondering. When it came to America which recording has the Shark guys singing with the Shark girls?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 8:03pm

All of the dances were using the original motion picture soundtrack recording of WEST SIDE STORY.

The film version of WEST SIDE STORY modified "America" to include the Shark men along with the Shark women. It became a duet of sorts between Bernardo and Anita.

Here is "America" from the 1961 film version (click the 'x' when that small dialogue box comes up so you can watch the full image of the clip): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QS7wWzwak4

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 8:17pm

Actually, Brody...

The film used Peter Gennaro's original conception of "America" as a dance of the Shark girls versus the Shark boys.

It was Robbins who came in and made Gennaro re-do it as a number to show off Anita and the girls.

But Robbins also wanted to give the "tired businessmen" in the 1957 Broadway audience a good old-fashioned Floradora/can-can number, in which with the girls would kick up their shapely legs and show some under garments.

Robbins was an "artiste" but he was also a showman. He knew that a musical with gang warfare and multiple deaths needed a little girly action.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 8:35pm

Just saw it today & it was great

A lot of changes from the movie but every one in it was superb.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 9:40am

I like some of his other clips too.

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 4:01pm

That was hot. Who ever edited and mixed the music did an excellent job. They threw in some nice beats.
Updated On: 9/6/09 at 04:01 PM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 9:06pm

LOVED IT!

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 9/6/09 at 10:32pm

I would love to see a production re-imagined in this way! Loved it!