Ivo van Hove Will Direct 2020 Broadway Revival of WEST SIDE STORY — Page 5

WHY

do

some of you

want

the

SAME

DAMN

PRODUCTION

over

and over

and over and over

and

over and over and over and over again?

Aren't you people bored with patting yourselves on the back yet?

PalJoey said: "

^^^ Exactly.



If you're going to "reinvent" it, why stop with the choreography? Why stop with the "production"?

Why not re-do the book, the lyrics and the music while you're at it?

Why not come up with an ORIGINAL adaptation of Romeo & Juliet for the 21st century?

Why only change the choreography and staging?

"

Even you have to know that this is a reaching argument, at best.

Changing the staging of something is not indicative of re-writing the book/music/lyrics.

I'll send you a bootleg if you want to relive your past, Pal!

Jarethan said: "This is the first time I have been excited about a production for WSS in many, many years. I personally amsick of the same old production; who says that a show needs to calcify because the original creatives were geniuses?

I have to admit that I have always felt that the show does not hold up as well as the score. Since this will be a new director vision with the classic score, I am excited. Purists, shoot me!"

I agree, 100%.

It's not as if the choreography of Jerome Robbins will disappear. It just wont be used in this production and it's about time we finally get to see another persons vision. The more I think of this production, the more excited I am.

GeorgeandDot said: "Shoot me, but I think the structure of the film is better. Cool works better after The Rumble and Officer Krupke is better early in the story. I wouldn't mind that getting altered."

I 100% agree with this! Quite honestly, that change made SO much more sense; like, who would sing a song about the dumb cop after your friend just died??? Doesn't make any sense!!!

It's a serious reach to say that choreography is the same thing as the ACTUAL WRITING OF THE PIECE.



In this case, I beg to differ.

The choreography is an equal component of the writing of the piece.



I would even go so far as to say that the music and the choreography are the GREATEST of the four components, each far greater than the book or even (Sondheim forgive me!) the lyrics.

Updated On: 7/15/18 at 12:08 AM

bk said: "ljay889 said: "If Arthur made the "rape"/taunting scene more intense in his revival, I can't imagine what might happen in a van Hove production.

Does anybody else have the feeling this will end up not coming to fruition?"

No, as I've been saying for as long as it's been talked about, I think it's the Spielberg film that will not come to fruition. "

That's what they said about Tom Hooper's adaptation of Cats, and now look where that's at...

I don't think it's an update Uncle Charlie. I'm all for a re-imagining of this show. I'm curious as to what Ivo van Hove's approach is going to be as far as presentation. I hope they will incorporate the switch of "Cool" and "Krupke" numbers that was done for the movie. I also hope they make changes to the book and get rid of those "cracks-jackos".

PalJoey said: "

If you're going to "reinvent" it, why stop with the choreography? Why stop with the "production"?

Why not re-do the book, the lyrics and the music while you're at it?

Why only change the choreography and staging?"



To be fair, while there are some shows where the choreography is contractually attached to the property, most shows aren't, as you know. All licensed shows, though, have a book and score you aren't allowed to alter. So, with that context, of course it's most likely the staging that gets altered first, even on shows where you have to ask.

Also, they did alter the lyrics on the last revival, as you know.

Also, Hove often works with classic texts and has shown a tremendous ability to find the visceral humanity and contemporary association with classic texts. Perhaps, this will be the first production since the original where the slang didn't sound silly.

The most recent Bway reimagining of a Robbins-directed classic I can think of was Bart Sher's FIDDLER with new choreography by Hofesh Shechter. Loved a lot of it, hated some (couldn't tell the Jews and Russians apart in "To Life", but generally found the new choreo one of the plusses in the otherwise discardable new production. I'm sure I'll feel the same with Van Hove's.