Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today?- Page 7

[peachesr82]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 9:28am

The costumes at the curtain call are awful but the ones in the dress shop scene dont seem so bad, much more fiftites. Im wondering if theres some reason for them being so very different at the finale. They're only 3 days into previews, Im sure alot will change before they hit Broadway

[morosco]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 9:38am

The costumes at the curtain call are awful...Im wondering if theres some reason for them being so very different at the finale.

They are different because they are incorporated into the West Side megamix finale/curtain call.

(kidding of course)

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 9:39am

Just a general comment. The Washington tryout is exactly that -- a tryout. This is the time when the creative/performing staffs can get a sense of what's working, what's not. It hasn't even been seen by the Washington critics yet, so any condemnatory remarks are premature, at best. The people involved didn't get where they are by being stupid. At this point, shaddup already and let the real work begin.

[bethnor]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 9:39am

They either grew up in competitive dancing schools where they were required to take all disciplines of dance, or they went the Ballet School route

I was not speaking of Broadway dancers in general, only of the ones in this show. And a more than cursory evalution of many of the ensemble members demonstrates that they appear to fit the description you are writing here. Ryan Steele went to a competitive dance school and placed in the YAGP. Kyle Coffman studied at the ABT/Joffrey. Sam Rogers studied at Juilliard (before presumably dropping out to take the part). Another one of the swings, Michaeljon Slinger, also went there, as well as studying at the ABT. Cody Green's background seems to parallel Brandon King's, where he studied at his mother's studio before going to Juilliard, and one imagines that he is comparable as Tharp gave him the same part. I am not saying that is the end all or be all of anything or that they are all of the calibre of Selya or Richardson, but they appear to have the background that you describe (they are dancers first, actors and singers afterwards), so to say they appear the way they do because they are gym rats as opposed to their dance training does not seem right to me.

If I am mistaken than I happily yield.
Updated On: 12/17/08 at 09:39 AM

[Trish2]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 9:46am

I absolutely agree with you bethnor since i know most of those dancers in WSS you just mentioned. They DO have that fantastic training we're talking about, but they are in the minority in the scheme of Broadway dance talent these days.

[bethnor]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 10:04am

Oh. For the Nth time. The most hideous pastel dresses that you see at curtain call only appeared during "Somewhere," where I believe everything was meant to have a cloudy, "dreamy" look, so it is not so glaring as compared to the gritty backdrop of the city (the backdrop during "Somewhere" was just white). They do not appear elsewhere, which is why the dresses in the dress shop appear "fine" by comparison. Also, this will sound lame, but things looked a little different with the lighting at the theatre than in these photos. Cody's final outfit, for instance, appeared light red to my eye but is clearly orange in the pictures.

As others have pointed out, though, miniskirts do appear during the Dance at the Gym and do look inappropriate, though the color scheme is not so garish. And poor Kyle's hideous traffic-comptroller vest truly MUST go.

Sheesh! I enjoyed the show thoroughly (though it is not perfect), and plan on catching it again before it leaves the district, maybe even a third time, depending on my schedule. I did not pay much attention to the costumes because I thought the dance performances (with one or two exceptions) were outstanding (I would not have guessed that Cody was hurt!), and I was busy watching lines and movement, not clothing. Crikey!!!

[Mamie]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 11:21am

"Just a general comment. The Washington tryout is exactly that -- a tryout. This is the time when the creative/performing staffs can get a sense of what's working, what's not."

Exactly. And this is why criticism from the audience IS appropriate in a forum like this. These boards are monitored and this is a way to let them know what's working and what isn't, from the only reviewer who counts. The AUDIENCE.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 11:37am

Why is "Somewhere" being sung by a boy soprano? I don't like it when the girl sings it, but why is such a beautiful song being sung by a random ensemble member in the first place?

It's a song about longing for a better place, safe and far from gang warfare, and you hear the voice of a little boy. The boy soprano reminded me of a lost innocence, and I found it quite sad and moving, actually.

Nobody stops to think about the possible reasons behind a decision anymore. They give themselves half a second to decide whether or not they like it and that's that, end of story. *sigh*

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 12:07pm

Photos look like a community theater production from 1994.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 2:47pm

I just think a boy singing it is random. It should be Tony and Maria's song, IMO.

NY_Broadway2: It's hard to explain! Just that pure, high sound issuing from a boy. Same reason falsetto creeps me out, I suppose.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 3:05pm

It's a song about longing for a better place, safe and far from gang warfare, and you hear the voice of a little boy. The boy soprano reminded me of a lost innocence, and I found it quite sad and moving, actually.

oo, Yero, that gives me chills. (it also helps that I adore boy sopranos with the fire of a thousand suns. in a non-creepy way)

I'm so excited to see this production when it moves to Broadway.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 3:20pm

It should be Tony and Maria's song, IMO.

But it's never sung by Tony and Maria during the ballet. It's sung by an unseen soprano in the orchestra pit.

What's the difference if it's a girl soprano or a boy soprano?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 3:22pm

Oh... nevermind, my bad.

Though girl sopranos don't creep me out.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 4:22pm

what about if you close your eyes and pretend it's a girl?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 4:26pm

What!? Are we still talking about West Side Story?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 4:29pm

can I "that's what she said!" myself?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 4:52pm

Or that's what he said.

[EnWashingtonHeights]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 4:55pm

I am seeing it on Saturday
Can someone upload scans of the playbill please?

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 4:57pm

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 5:02pm

Female sopranos sound nothing like boy sopranos... unless it's Emmy Rossum or Charlotte Church.

[EnWashingtonHeights]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 5:03pm

I mean like the inside like musical numbers
Thanks though.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 5:06pm

The musical numbers are the same as any other production. Unless you meant you wanted to see the new Spanish song titles.

[bethnor]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 9:23pm

And this is why criticism from the audience IS appropriate in a forum like this. These boards are monitored and this is a way to let them know what's working and what isn't, from the only reviewer who counts.

Though what you say is true, it seems like overkill is going on. What is also true is that people seem to be using every little reason to declare that this production will be a disaster. A lot of that could be argued to be Laurents' own doing, but be that as it may. It's worth noting, that, in 7 pages, there is little concern or consideration as to the quality of the dancing, singing, or acting, as if these things play second fiddle to the costumes and sets.

Most of the comments so far, even in the NEW thread, seem to be about the dancers' physiques and the costumes. If anyone here can go to the corps de ballet of the Joffrey, ABT, Juilliard, etc., and find a dancer who can do the Robbins choreography eight times a week who looks like a wiry street urchin who lives in poverty, please do so and post a pic. That is the way the majority of modern male ballet dancers look and it can't be helped, and those are the places that many of the Jets and Sharks were culled from, which are considered our leading institutions in ballet.

Yes, some of the costumes are hideous, but the worst offenders were present for ONE number. Hopefully that will change. Yes, the miniskirts are probably inappropriate, but in retrospect, I have to wonder how much of that is functionality for some tweaking to the choreography.

Lastly, for Cody Green's consideration as a performer to begin at Center Stage 2, is not a fair thing, IMHO. He has danced a lead role for Twyla Tharp, opposite former ABT PRINCIPALS, Keith Roberts and Elizabeth Parkinson and held his own.
Here is an old user review:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardid=6&boardname=off&thread=903629#2323762

Sadly, I'm late to the action, so there it is. Again, that's not the end all or be all of anything, but in terms of classical dance training, I don't think that's anything to be scoffed at. But maybe it is?...

The playbills are very spare, there's nothing in there that you won't find on the website.

Updated On: 12/17/08 at 09:23 PM

[LaMusicaVa]

Posted: 12/17/08 at 10:07pm

It almost seems pointless now for me to add that the costumes are horrendous, since everyone appears to agree on that. :) Speaking as someone who loves '50s fashion in general and Irene Sharaff's original designs as well, it looks like they either decided to scrap the '50s element altogether or someone really doesn't know what they're doing. Unless they were going for a futuristic look for the 'Somewhere' dream sequence? And by the way, was that the new version of the famous white party dress that Maria was wearing in the dress shop picture?

I would have liked to see Catherine Zuber do the costumes for this - I simply loved her costumes for The Light In the Piazza and South Pacific and would have been very interested to see her take on WSS.

Are there any videos/audio of the cast singing songs from the show about yet?

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 12:19am

These dancers managed to dance Robbins' choreography eight times a week...






... Of course they didn't go to corps de-hoo-ha and the Whatnot Ballet company... but they seemed to manage both the dances they were given AND looked like the characters they are representing.

My ENTIRELY PERSONAL gripe comes strictly from what I see in the A CHORUS LINE like line-up in the curtain call photo.

But what I don't see - again, STRICTLY from the ONE photo - is the grit and under-development that comes from oppressive urban living in the 50's.

What I do see is a line up of Chelsea boys who look like they are on their way to get a facial after having worked on their delts all afternoon.

Live I'm sure it is very different... and this in no way will prevent me from seeing the production.

But I will be disappointed if I enter the Palace, take my seat and see the last two dozen cover models of MENS FITNESS snapping and leaping to the Bernstein score.

I remember having such a reaction when I saw JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY... but then it didn't much matter because we were there to see the "dance" and it was a revue.

But now ... with all the effort to make this production more authentic... it will be a let down - TO ME - if dancers aren't convincing age and circumstance appropriate.

Updated On: 12/18/08 at 12:19 AM