Anyone seeing WEST SIDE STORY in D.C. today? — Page 9

Before the song, Rosalia continues speaking in Spanish after the Sharks leave, but Anita glares at her and she switches to English. So they did address that. She doesn't sing in Spanish because she's pressured to use English.

NY_Broadway2: Falsetto anything creeps me out. Tenor leggieros are okay because they don't use falsetto.
They're children; they don't need to use falsetto yet.

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Updated On: 12/20/08 at 01:52 AM

A little off topic but for anyone that has been did they have any Merchandise? If so, what was it like?

Oh, then I guess the Spanish thing is just a silly gimmick.

Even after all the complaints, I don't see the Spanish as a gimmick or unnecessary or anything.

It's not that all Puerto Rican characters speak Spanish all the time. They speak Spanish when it makes sense. Anita is the one of them who really wants to be American, to be seen as American. So it makes sense for her to speak English, and to insist that everyone around her speak English (hence why "America" is sung in English, even Rosalia's part).

I have a question for anyone who's seen it: Laurents has said that the use of Spanish came about as a way to balance the perspectives, to make the Sharks and the Jets equal in the audience's eyes. Did you feel that worked even a little bit, or did you feel that the Jets were still the clear heroes?

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orangeskitles: That response was referring to counter-tenors, not boy sopranos.

I love how there are much of this thread has been devoted to discussing my dislike of boy sopranos and falsetto.

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Updated On: 12/21/08 at 11:59 AM

Interesting. Supposedly, the creators have always felt that the show was biased in favor of the Jets. They get more songs, more dialogue, more stage time. This revival was partly inspired as a way to fix that.

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Too bad they couldn't use the guys vs. girls version as seen in the movie, then. I always felt that explained how they felt better.

I don't think that the Sharks are any better than the Jets though, personally.

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Yero, I can't disagree more on either the Spanish or the ending.

If there is no small ray of hope at the end, I'm afraid WSS has no reason for being. It's a waste of our time. I don't need to spend three hours being told violence and hate exist through song and dance. If there is nothing greater we can learn through this tragedy, why view it?

oh, also merchandise wise, they have beanies and keychains and a sweatshirt

No one has mentioned the musicians. How does that big orchestra sound?

The orchestra is quite big (over 20) but I thought the balance was off. There are many strings, but I did not hear them as much as I wanted to. The horns are the most audible.

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"They could shave a good 10 minutes off if Riff didn't just stand there, walk real slow and snap his finger."

I'm assuming you're referring to something specific about this production, and not the way it always has been -- I mean Riff always walks and snaps his fingers...is the music slow as well?

Re: the ending...first of all, one of my favorite parts was the final pose which seems gone for now...that of the 4 adults (and Chino I guess) left on the stage after the processional, looking completely clueless as to how this all happened and feeling pretty hopeless. I guess that was what I took more as the dual ending -- maybe some of the Jets & Sharks are over it (and I'll quickly get back to the "some") -- but there's lots of other hate out there, and situations like this are gonna happen, and well, the adult figures just don't know how at all to prevent it. I don't know, I just always loved that.

Also, again, not sure how much this is demonstrated in performances, but the actual script of WSS calls for a couple of the Sharks to run over and help pick up Tony, while several of the Jets and Sharks are still unable to give up the gangs, get past all this, and continue to go their separate ways. I wish I could remember the exact wording, but I also think that's great, not everyone is stuck in the cycle of hatred, but not everyone is over it.

Also, Miss P, I could be wrong, but I also think one of the Jets putting the shawl over Maria was also always in the script.

Then let's not forget WSS' source material -- Romeo and Juliet. The whole ending is obviously out of the deaths of R & J, the feud between the families end. Sure, you can argue that WSS doesn't have to follow R&J to a tee, but...every tragedy has some good come out of the tragedy -- Oedipus is blinded and forced to leave Thebes, but the plague over Thebes ends. Hamlet &...almost everyone dies, but the war is over. There always is something to come out of the tragedy, and I guess that's kind of what Philcrosby is saying.

Also, re: the Jets/Sharks...the one thing I've always found more sympathetic about the Sharks as opposed to the Jets is their treatment of women. Of course there's the near rape of Anita, but you can also see the difference with little gestures. Like when Riff and Bernardo lead their ladies to the promenade, Riff snaps for Graziela, while Bernardo extends an arm and twirls Anita around.

And Nitya, no need to apologize, that is a very insightful comment. I don't think Anita was ever involved with the processional anyway. I can totally understand her being the most tragic figure of the show.

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The extreme slowness being referred to here is definitely specific to THIS production. I understand wanting the audience to actually grasp what's going on rather than "rushing" into the action, but this opening crawls in. Your mind starts to wander or, at the very least, you're thinking "What in godsname is going on here?" It actually detracts from the drama. You're not immediately "engaged"...and I'm using the term "immediately" loosely.

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I felt like the opening went on for 15 minutes or something. Obviously, that is an exaggeration, but that is what it felt like.

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