It's official. West Side Story ditches some of the spanish - Page 3

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:33pm

A lot of Karen's choreography is the original though. I believe they cut Anita's "solo", and made it all of the girls. And the real big cut were the leaps. And judging by the clips of the International tour, McKneely has NO idea how to teach the leaps properly. I also have a feeling if we get a great dancer as a replacement (Bianca Marroquin??), we still won't see the leaps.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:34pm

I'm glad I got to see it before any types of changes were made. The show has one of Broadway's hottest tickets, makes over a million a week and it's constantly sold out.

I thought it was perfection and the emotion was infectious, especially in some of the Spanish numbers and dialogues.

It was perfect, I wouldn't change a thing.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:38pm

Fair enough, we all know where we stand on the Karen/Anita thing. But just one quick thing on the whole winning the Mambo thing -- the Mambo is more of a Hispanic dance -- okay it originated in Cuba, not Puerto Rico but still, IMHO there's just something wrong with a white girl winning the Mambo.

(Very interesting research side note: I was just double-checking facts about the Mambo to ensure its Hispanic origins, and found an interesting tidbit: "One of the greatest contributions of the Mambo is that it led to the development of the Cha-Cha." Ha, the Mambo certainly develops musically into the Cha-Cha. I learn something new about why WSS is so genius every day).

Yes oldschool, the fact that Joe Kennedy Jr. is suddenly a former gang member doesn't help the Tony portrayal. I ended up getting a couple free tickets, that's why I saw the show 3 times, and I let myself enjoy what I did, but by the third time, everytime Cavenaugh opened his mouth to sing or talk I wanted to scream. He didn't bother me so much at first, but by the third, ulgh. And to quote broadwayabridged: "Matt Cavenaugh enters blandly."

"Would you guys rather have a simplified version of the ORIGINAL choreography of America or just have them change it like they did for this production? Not trying to sound mean, just truly asking."

I'm a little confused -- doesn't this production have a simplified version of the original choreography? Simplifying it is what's changed. So...yeah, I'm confused.

[bethnor]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:49pm

i feel bad for cavenaugh. he has the hardest job in the show.

a new tony won't help without a deeper change. with both matt c. and matt h. using lots of vibrato and backphrasing, one suspects they are being told to do these things.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:54pm

Poor Bernstein must be rolling in his grave...along with Robbins...if they were buried near each other, they would probably cause an earthquake in the graveyard.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:55pm

I'm surprised they didn't get Josh Bergasse to recreate the choreography. I believe he was associated with the production that played at Wolftrap two summers ago. Ironically the only people I remember from that production are Natascia Diaz (Anita) and Michael Balderama (Bernardo). Natascia was a thrilling Anita and did the original choreography, too.

Unfortunately it's all water under the bridge now.

Updated On: 8/26/09 at 12:55 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:55pm

To be fair, Sondheim has said that Bernstein would have been thrilled about this production.


I cannot speak for Robbins...

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 12:58pm

The beginning part of America is totally different. Right when the first dance starts, Karen dances with 2 other girls. In the original, Anita did a whole solo and did a full turn with her leg in the air and then turned into a full layout. All of the girls gallop down the stage and do a small jump/kick to the side in replace of that in this production.

Updated On: 8/26/09 at 12:58 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 1:02pm

Okay, as long as we're discussing it, here--AGAIN--are the words of the former WSS dance captain who could probably do the ORIGINAL Anita choreography for the Mambo and America in his sleep:

===

First, Anita and Bernado's variation in the dance at the gym is way simplified: Karen basically shimmies and he dips her. She gives a small kick over his head while he kneels, but this is supposed to be a huge fan kick, followed by a flick into a double partner-turn to the floor with a partnered layout at the end, featuring HER, not Bernardo. They don't do any of that.

Then in America, Anita's first variation was previously solo, but Karen is immediately joined by two girls. This particular variation was always supposed to be Anita's technical specialty, but it is severely toned down for Karen.

Not one single ounce of the ballet/theater synthesis Robbins was so adept at remains.

Some of the more charming, quirky sections that are fast enough to mask her technical shortcomings are partially intact, but only in bits and pieces.

Finally, the most iconic part of the dance--the huge jumps at the end that mirror the huge crescendo in music--are replaced by single turns and are completely anticlimactic.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 1:09pm

I'll speak for Jerry Robbins: He would have fired half the cast and the costume designer and barred Arthur from the theater.

[Oldschool]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 1:20pm

I suspect that Sondheim made that remark because of the decision to use Bernstein's original scoring as well as skipping the overture (which was added during the original production over Bernstein's objections), as well as having the full orchestra (although they deleted the guitar part for the Broadway run -- they had it in DC).

PalJoey spot on.

[Kalimba]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 1:23pm

How I'd love to see Jerome Robbins reaction to Yanira Marin's Anita. Truly a ghastly performance.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 2:42pm

I would have loved to see Robbins's reaction to Karen winning the Tony for Anita.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 2:44pm

"Robbins's"

- Who is that??

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 2:50pm

Hmmm. In my opinion, I know that Anita is a dancers role, however, the Tony was best ACTRESS in a musical. She gave the best ACTING performance out of the nominees, in my opinion.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 3:06pm

Hmm, could you give me the source for that quote? I either must have missed it or it must have come out before I saw the show, because I know if I saw it after, I would respond.

Granted, more Bernstein than Robbins is in the production because of the work of his kids to keep it intact. As has been discussed before, the only reason they couldn't stop the nightmare from being cut was because Bernstein already okayed it for Jerome Robbins' Broadway. And, you know, thank god for the full orchestra and what-not. But I still think he would be rolling to hear Cavenaugh sing, and the terrible tempo re-design of Krupke.

"I suspect that Sondheim made that remark because of the decision to use Bernstein's original scoring as well as skipping the overture (which was added during the original production over Bernstein's objections)"

I'm not positive about this, but I think the story goes that when the show made its premiere, it had no overture. Bernstein wrote it but they decided to do without it. I think when the NY version closed, and it started touring, and went back to Broadway, I think somewhere in there the overture might have been put back in...actually, there's some part of my brain remembering reading something about they put it back because the movie had an overture and people were so familiar with that. Hmm, no idea if my brain's making that up. I know Bernstein initially hated the movie orchestrations, and I think he preferred the show without the overture, but I don't remember him being really pissed about that...wow, I say that as if I was there. Rephrase: I don't remember reading that he was pissed.

"who could probably do the ORIGINAL Anita choreography for the Mambo and America in his sleep"

I'm suddenly having not-so-great images of a male Anita in WSS...

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 3:10pm

I'll speak for Jerry Robbins: He would have fired half the cast and the costume designer and barred Arthur from the theater.

Sadly, it's hard when you're dealing with this:

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 3:11pm

"I think Lenny would be enormously enthusiastic because the show's a hit." Sondheim also praises Josefina.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m4I6KWS7K8Z94

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 3:22pm

<...enormously enthusiastic because the show's a hit..."

That's called damning with faint praise.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 3:23pm

I will say, Sondheim is a class act. After his apparent annual fallout with Laurents during previews, he still showed up to the recording sessions to offer his help and guidance. A truly special man.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 3:32pm

ljay, thanks for that lovely clip. I don't get why so many people keep trashing this show...we all get it, you didn't like it!

[blaxx]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 3:34pm

On the contrary, they are so picky about the show because they like it so much.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 4:31pm

Thanks blaxx

Okay, I know how musically gifted Sondheim is, and couldn't imagine he'd think Bernstein would love the actual content, just that "it's a hit."

Tony is a hard role, but you can't imagine what I would give to be able to see Larry Kert play him live.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 4:35pm

It really makes me wonder. Cavenaugh has said somewhere that he had to audition for Laurents, Sondheim, the Bernstein estate, the Robbins estate, and the production team. I doubt Arthur was the ONLY one who wanted him. Maybe he gave a really killer audition? "Who knows."
Updated On: 8/26/09 at 04:35 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/26/09 at 4:56pm

He probably auditioned shirtless and then once the shirt went back on and the charisma disappeared it was too late to find someone else.