"America" from the international tour of West Side Story...

I came across this video on youtube. It's "America" from the current International Tour of WSS. McKneely directs and reproduces the choreography for this production.

And I hate to say it, but I find the dancing in this video no better than Karen and the girls from our revival. Maybe it's a problem with McKneely? Yes, the girls here do the leaps at the end, but it looks extremely awkward, not thrilling like when Debbie Allen and Charlotte d'Amboise do them.
Also the acting and vocals here are no better than any community theater production of this show.

Just curious what others think. I know I am probably opening a HUGE can of worms, but that's fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uknH2uWAxvo

and here are clips from the rest of the production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eB4vlC3tj0

Updated On: 6/16/09 at 01:33 PM

i enjoyed the current production more than most.

that said, i do think "the hand of the master" is missing, for better or worse.

in those clips, it doesn't help that one of the anitas is just as muscular as cavenaugh, compared to the more lithe allen and d'amboise. also, with the fire in the oil drums and tropical theme of the dresses, they look like they're doing "america" at a luau.

I know there's the argument that Robbins would never have cast Karen, but I bet he could have whipped her ass into shape much more than McKneely.

Heck... Robbins was able to create the illusion that Rita Moreno was a real dancer for the 1961 film version of WEST SIDE STORY. He would have easily done the same for Olivo. Olivo definitely does have the foundation, she just needs/needed someone to pull it out of her.

Moreno, like Ann-Margret and Debbie Reynolds, never had any professional dance training. They just knew how to move, which great choreographers were able to work with and create dance magic thru the labor of rehearsing them endlessly.

Current Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production

Charlotte's stags/leaps are INSANE. I love her version.

It's a funny thing that you should mention this Ijay as I saw the International tour a couple of weeks ago. I've only seen what was on the Tony Awards TV screening of the current Broadway production.

The cast has changed much since both of the links you post and there were very strong individual dancers in the tour but the overall standard was inconsistent compared to Dance At The Gym on the Tony awards. The actress playing Maria (Sofia Escobar) remains the same as at the Sadlers Wells link and was every bit the equal of Josefina Scaglione, judging by what I could tell from the TV Tonys.

The first link looks like it is a special event - those are not the sets used in the tour - no burning oil drums and much more crowded balconies and ladders. Some of the costumes you can see in the second link are from the dream sequence which make it seem a bit glitzy. I found both the sets and the costumes added to my appreciation of WSS and was impressed with the production, but then the only comparator I have of the stage production was a weak UK tour from about ten years ago.

You're delusional if you think Karen dances better than this girl playing Anita. It's not even comparable. This girl is far from the best I have ever seen, but she still makes Karen look like an amateur. Her lines are much cleaner and everything is done with a sharpness that Karen doesn't have. Overall, I don't care for the video, but I can't sit here and pretend that Karen is better than this girl.

I agree, bjh2114. Methinks ljay's just trying to justify Karen's Tony.

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^ That is a HUGE matter of opinion.

Just because it's popular doesn't necessarily make it right.

Yeah, well Stephen Sondheim's boyfriend told me Cubby Bernstein's mom thinks Aaron Tveit is the best Tony ever.

SO THERE.

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Chita certainly didn't insinuate that she hates Rita. But I remember her saying something along the lines of "The woman who wore MY dress won the Oscar." I think.

Outside the broadway community may consider Rita THE Anita. But CHITA is definitely OUR Anita. Always will be.