Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today? — Page 3

#51

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 10:39am

It's "frabba jabba!," thank you very much.

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"Y'know, I think Bertolt Brecht was rolling in his grave."
-Nellie McKay on the 2006 Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, in which she played Polly Peachum

#52

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 10:50am

Thanks for the reviews...can't wait to see it...question what they do at the end instead of the procession?

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"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life. Define yourself"

Updated On: 12/16/08 at 10:50 AM

#53

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 11:09am

To their credit, both Matt and Cody understated the whole "womb to tomb" and "sperm to worm" thing, as if they secretly knew it was embarassing, as opposed to Beymer and Tamblyn, who hammed it up with glee.

It feels like efforts were made to obscure the others, as they were often stated when multiple ensemble members were speaking, clouding it in a cacophony of speech. But perhaps my memory is faulty. "Wacko jacko" stuck out, but it was also clearly a time when the Jets were playing with Anybody's mind.

America is just the gals.

#54

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 11:10am

question did they stay true to the stage production and have America sung by Anita and the girls and not Anita and Bernardo

Yes, they did. That was a change made for the movie and, once again, it is illegal to make any changes to the stage show, including and especially ones that are considered the "movie version."

question what they do at the end instead of the procession?

Aw, come on, you wouldn't want us to ruin it, would you? Just go see it.

I will say that it is similar in tone to the change Laurents made to the end of the current GYPSY revival.

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Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent

"He's a tramp, but I love him."

Updated On: 12/16/08 at 11:10 AM

#55

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 11:30am

OK...I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get tickets for Christmas....I dropped enough hints so maybe

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"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life. Define yourself"

#56

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 11:34am

Beymer and Tamblyn actually never said "sperm to worm."

#57

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 12:35pm

Thanks Bobby for looking out for me as always! Thanks pops!

#58

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:00pm

Some initial pictures have been released from the first preview.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_WEST_SIDE_STORY_First_Preview_in_DC_20000101

Josefina Scaglione is stunning, but these costumes are absolutely atrocious.

They look all look like rejects from a bad 1980's workout video.

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Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.

Updated On: 12/16/08 at 01:00 PM

#59

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:34pm

This is an improvement over Irene Sharaff how exactly?



And what is that purple thing on the right? A GANG jacket?

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Updated On: 12/16/08 at 01:34 PM

#60

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:36pm

Those costumes are seriously terrible.

They look like an '80s cartoon variety show of WSS. And many of the girls look like "Sweet Charity" ho's.

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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#61

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:37pm

Arthur has complained for years about all the Sharks in matching red outfits in the movie. So, Sharks in matching purple outfits is different in what way...?

#62

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:37pm

Well yeah, let's hope the costumes improve by the time it comes to Broadway.

#63

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:38pm

not to poopoo the show. but those COSTUMES looks DREADFUL! I hope there are some serious changes for the broadway production. WAY off base. I go go on, about the hems of skirts being too short for the time period. that picture looks like the scarsdale Jewish Community center does, "west side story".

bad. bad. bad.

Hopefully they will utilize their out of town time to make changes. because I love that show!

#64

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:38pm

What's up with those mini skirts?

#65

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:40pm

Josefina Scaglione is stunning, but these costumes are absolutely atrocious.

It was interesting to me that, despite all the broohaha about Matt's age, it was actually Karen who read much older than Josefina. Part of it, as you can see, was her wardrobe--that first dress was positively frumpy. IMHO, it almost changed their dynamic from sisterly to maternal.

I don't remember the costumes being that garish last night, but they really do in that last photo. Funny that Laurents complained about the Jets and Sharks being color-coded in the film... and then he proceeds to color code them. I think alot of offending dresses are not onstage save for "Somewhere," where everything was sort of pastel.

Thanks for the correction. I do believe Tamblyn does say, "womb to tomb," though.

#66

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:40pm

And what is that purple thing on the right?

No that's just Michael Jackson circa 1980, passing through the frame a la Bigfoot.

Seriously, these costumes are pretty awful. If Laurents thought the movie looked tacky and juvenile, how did he sign off on this?

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"If there is going to be a restoration fee, there should also be a Renaissance fee, a Middle Ages fee and a Dark Ages fee. Someone must have men in the back room making up names, euphemisms for profit." (Emanuel Azenberg)

#67

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:40pm

question what they do at the end instead of the procession?

They stand back and look at Tony's body as the curtain comes down.

I only remember the "zodiac" projection being used during the balcony scene. For the most part, the background was a cityscape.

And yes, that's exactly what I meant about the costumes. Some of them are fine; Tony's costumes are basic jeans and T-shirts that could fit in in 1957 or today and Maria's dresses are simple and lovely, but things like the Shark's purple jacket distracted from that.

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Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

Updated On: 12/16/08 at 01:40 PM

#68

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:43pm

Ew!! Those costumes are seriously a mess. That troubles me.

Both Josefina and Matt look terrific. Matt does not look too old at all, which pleases me since I was worried about that.

And is anyone else a little sad they made A Boy Like That/I Have a Love in Spanish. I mean it totally makes sense, but those are two of my favorite songs from the show, and I kinda wanted to here them in English

#69

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:43pm

i also do not agree with that ending at all!!!!

#70

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:45pm

Make room for me on the those-costumes-are-dreadful bandwagon.

Ouch!

The next thing that really strikes me as odd is how beefy and gym-out the boys look.

Did they have an inner-city, after-school CRUNCH gym program in 1957?

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What great ones do the less will prattle of

#71

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:46pm

The next thing that really strikes me as odd is how beefy and gym-out the boys look.

I always think that stands out in various period pieces, how the guys are always way overdeveloped and the women are rail thin, no matter the era.

#72

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:51pm

I'd "generally" agree with you on that, Phyl ...

But for a revival that is striving -I'm guessing - to be more authentic... it just looks odd to me that 1957 street rats look like they stepped off the cover a MEN'S HEALTH.

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What great ones do the less will prattle of

#73

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:55pm

I would venture to guess that's hard to find chorus boys who DON'T look like an ad for Equinox these days.

#74

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:59pm

They don't look like Nick Adams, or look like they're on roids. I see some skinny arms there.

Updated On: 12/16/08 at 01:59 PM

#75

re: Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?

Posted: 12/16/08 at 2:00pm

True. Very True, Phyl.

What could pass as a Broadway Dancer in 1957 .. probably couldn't cut it today.

I was hoping for a grittier, less polished and pretty looking cast.

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What great ones do the less will prattle of

Updated On: 12/16/08 at 02:00 PM