#1
Posted: 12/31/08 at 2:05pm
***Spoilers***
Alright, well, last night I, and four of my friends, went and saw the pre-Broadway tryout of West Side Story in DC.
West Side Story has always been my favorite musical, so I was anxious and nervous about this revival.
Let me start with my negative opinions...
The worst part of the show is the direction. Arthur Laurents should stay away from his own work. Arthur Laurents has taken West Side Story and sucked the life out of it. The pacing of the show is so slow with beats added into SO many places where there shouldn't be. I didn't know that making West Side Story more gritty meant making it slower and more boring. For example:
During Tony's "Something's Comin" he moved around, back and forth, on stage while in "Maria" he stood stage right and didn't take a single step the entire song! It should almost be the opposite. I think Tony should stand still during "Something's Comin" because he's preparing himself for something, watching it and for "Maria" he should be running around the streets of New York. Watching Matt Cavenaugh, I could just see it in him. I could just tell that he wanted to be moving about, but Laurents put limitations on the way he could express his excitement and new found love for Maria.
So many actors in that production took so many dramatic pauses, beats, before they continued with their lines and it got to be a bit much. For the first time of my life I felt like West Side Story dragged.
While, I can see where Laurents was going with the whole...teenage lust/love/can't keep your hands off each other thing...it sucked all the love out of this tragic love story. Basically, you watched two horny teeangers rub and kiss each other and we're suppose to think they were in love? West Side Story is a love story, but what we have here is just horny teeangers.
The costumes...some were alright. Most were just confusing. The production doesn't know what it is. The Jets look like they're dressed to go clubbing at Splash (gay club).
The tempos of some of the songs were awful. I didn't know "A Boy Like That" could be sung as a ballad. Right when you're expecting an intense moment between Anita and Maria the orchestra starts in with the slowest version of "A Boy Like That" I've ever heard.
The boy soprano singing "Somewhere"...didn't work.
Now, the dancers were incredible. The actor who played Baby John was one of the most remarkable dancers I have ever seen although when he opened his mouth I didn't believe a single thing he said. I know these are gang members doing ballet, but most of them were not masculine enough. And during "When You're A Jet" and "Officer Krupke" their harmonies were ALL off. While they were incredible dancers, they weren't actors and were decent singers. The combination of Robbins' choreography and Laurents' book can be done in a more masculine, manly way. I didn't see it last night.
I liked the sets. I don't think the show needs anymore than what is already there. The rumble set was great and I think that chain linked fence needs to be the show curtain.
The spanish...well, if I didn't know the show already, or at all, then I would not have had any idea what was happening. I would not fully understand Anita and Bernardo's relationship and I definitely wouldn't have understood why Anita goes to Doc's Drugstore. It threw me off and while I knew what Maria, Bernardo, and Anita were saying to each other...I just wanted to understand what they were saying to each other. A Spanglish would have worked much better. There were children all around me and I'm sure none of them understood what was happening. And the Quintet...when the Sharks were singing Spanish against the Jets singing English it sounded like a bunch of gibberish. You couldn't understand anything.
The taunting scene...wow. The reinvention of that scene sure did work. I felt completely uncomfortable. It literally sent chills down my spine. I liked what he did there. Finally, Laurents had me effected.
Matt Cavenaugh- now, I know everyone on these boards has said that he is the weakest part of the show, but I found him to be one of the strongest parts of the show. If he had better direction, he would almost be perfect for the role. The way he looked at Maria, I knew he truly had feelings for this girl. I only see him getting better. Despite his very strong vibrato, I loved his voice. It sounds very similar to Larry Kert IMO. He took the higher note in "Maria" and it was beautiful. Although, the scene where he is screaming for Chino did bother me because he wasn't screaming it. He was just wandering around stage quietly asking for Chino. It was awkward. But nevertheless, I really enjoyed his performance and I can't wait to see him again in NYC to see how he grows.
Josefina Scaglione- I don't get what all the hype is about. She is a very beautiful girl with a beautiful voice, but I just didn't get the strength from her that Maria needs. The creators of WSS decided not to kill Maria at the end because they thought she was too strong of a character to die. Well, I didn't see that in Josefina. Although she does capture Maria's innocence and naivety wonderfully and I really believed that she cared for Tony. And her last scene...well, she sure can fake cry.
Karen Olivo- probably the most consistent performance in the show. I thought she danced the role just fine. I LOVED her long hair that she just threw around. She could have been a little more fiery. She was fantastic with her book work. She had some really great moments and had the audience laughing and rooting for her the entire time. I'm still kind of at a crossroads of what I thought of her performance, but I did like her. Although, she did come off more motherly with Maria than a best friends.
Cody Green- get him out! The direction is the worst thing about this production and Cody Green is the second worst thing. I hope this show doesn't move to New York with him because it'll only hurt the show. He was constantly flat and needs to learn how to act. The scene between him and Matt Cavenaugh in act one fell flat. I didn't believe that they were best friends...at all. He danced the show well, but dear God...
George Akram- he was alright. Nothing memorabe. Not tough enough and not sexy enough.
Curtis Holbrook- definitely the most believable Jet. But, I think he may have been a little too crazy. But, maybe he just came off that way because the rest of the Jets were too gay.
Steve Bassett- really?
I will say that I am super glad I went to DC and saw the show, but I was disappointed with the way the show is now. If they get rid of Laurents, pick up the pace of the show, change a few costumes, re-cast Cody Green, convince the Jets that for two and a half hours it's okay to act straight, and bring back what was cut of the ballet...it'll be a good show!
Sorry, I know I just came off super negative and super b**chy, but I went in to this show with so many hopes and little expectations and was so sad to see what they have done to this remarkable show. There are so many concepts in this show and no solid direction. The production just doesn't know what it wants to be yet. I hope it finds itself soon.
Alright, well, last night I, and four of my friends, went and saw the pre-Broadway tryout of West Side Story in DC.
West Side Story has always been my favorite musical, so I was anxious and nervous about this revival.
Let me start with my negative opinions...
The worst part of the show is the direction. Arthur Laurents should stay away from his own work. Arthur Laurents has taken West Side Story and sucked the life out of it. The pacing of the show is so slow with beats added into SO many places where there shouldn't be. I didn't know that making West Side Story more gritty meant making it slower and more boring. For example:
During Tony's "Something's Comin" he moved around, back and forth, on stage while in "Maria" he stood stage right and didn't take a single step the entire song! It should almost be the opposite. I think Tony should stand still during "Something's Comin" because he's preparing himself for something, watching it and for "Maria" he should be running around the streets of New York. Watching Matt Cavenaugh, I could just see it in him. I could just tell that he wanted to be moving about, but Laurents put limitations on the way he could express his excitement and new found love for Maria.
So many actors in that production took so many dramatic pauses, beats, before they continued with their lines and it got to be a bit much. For the first time of my life I felt like West Side Story dragged.
While, I can see where Laurents was going with the whole...teenage lust/love/can't keep your hands off each other thing...it sucked all the love out of this tragic love story. Basically, you watched two horny teeangers rub and kiss each other and we're suppose to think they were in love? West Side Story is a love story, but what we have here is just horny teeangers.
The costumes...some were alright. Most were just confusing. The production doesn't know what it is. The Jets look like they're dressed to go clubbing at Splash (gay club).
The tempos of some of the songs were awful. I didn't know "A Boy Like That" could be sung as a ballad. Right when you're expecting an intense moment between Anita and Maria the orchestra starts in with the slowest version of "A Boy Like That" I've ever heard.
The boy soprano singing "Somewhere"...didn't work.
Now, the dancers were incredible. The actor who played Baby John was one of the most remarkable dancers I have ever seen although when he opened his mouth I didn't believe a single thing he said. I know these are gang members doing ballet, but most of them were not masculine enough. And during "When You're A Jet" and "Officer Krupke" their harmonies were ALL off. While they were incredible dancers, they weren't actors and were decent singers. The combination of Robbins' choreography and Laurents' book can be done in a more masculine, manly way. I didn't see it last night.
I liked the sets. I don't think the show needs anymore than what is already there. The rumble set was great and I think that chain linked fence needs to be the show curtain.
The spanish...well, if I didn't know the show already, or at all, then I would not have had any idea what was happening. I would not fully understand Anita and Bernardo's relationship and I definitely wouldn't have understood why Anita goes to Doc's Drugstore. It threw me off and while I knew what Maria, Bernardo, and Anita were saying to each other...I just wanted to understand what they were saying to each other. A Spanglish would have worked much better. There were children all around me and I'm sure none of them understood what was happening. And the Quintet...when the Sharks were singing Spanish against the Jets singing English it sounded like a bunch of gibberish. You couldn't understand anything.
The taunting scene...wow. The reinvention of that scene sure did work. I felt completely uncomfortable. It literally sent chills down my spine. I liked what he did there. Finally, Laurents had me effected.
Matt Cavenaugh- now, I know everyone on these boards has said that he is the weakest part of the show, but I found him to be one of the strongest parts of the show. If he had better direction, he would almost be perfect for the role. The way he looked at Maria, I knew he truly had feelings for this girl. I only see him getting better. Despite his very strong vibrato, I loved his voice. It sounds very similar to Larry Kert IMO. He took the higher note in "Maria" and it was beautiful. Although, the scene where he is screaming for Chino did bother me because he wasn't screaming it. He was just wandering around stage quietly asking for Chino. It was awkward. But nevertheless, I really enjoyed his performance and I can't wait to see him again in NYC to see how he grows.
Josefina Scaglione- I don't get what all the hype is about. She is a very beautiful girl with a beautiful voice, but I just didn't get the strength from her that Maria needs. The creators of WSS decided not to kill Maria at the end because they thought she was too strong of a character to die. Well, I didn't see that in Josefina. Although she does capture Maria's innocence and naivety wonderfully and I really believed that she cared for Tony. And her last scene...well, she sure can fake cry.
Karen Olivo- probably the most consistent performance in the show. I thought she danced the role just fine. I LOVED her long hair that she just threw around. She could have been a little more fiery. She was fantastic with her book work. She had some really great moments and had the audience laughing and rooting for her the entire time. I'm still kind of at a crossroads of what I thought of her performance, but I did like her. Although, she did come off more motherly with Maria than a best friends.
Cody Green- get him out! The direction is the worst thing about this production and Cody Green is the second worst thing. I hope this show doesn't move to New York with him because it'll only hurt the show. He was constantly flat and needs to learn how to act. The scene between him and Matt Cavenaugh in act one fell flat. I didn't believe that they were best friends...at all. He danced the show well, but dear God...
George Akram- he was alright. Nothing memorabe. Not tough enough and not sexy enough.
Curtis Holbrook- definitely the most believable Jet. But, I think he may have been a little too crazy. But, maybe he just came off that way because the rest of the Jets were too gay.
Steve Bassett- really?
I will say that I am super glad I went to DC and saw the show, but I was disappointed with the way the show is now. If they get rid of Laurents, pick up the pace of the show, change a few costumes, re-cast Cody Green, convince the Jets that for two and a half hours it's okay to act straight, and bring back what was cut of the ballet...it'll be a good show!
Sorry, I know I just came off super negative and super b**chy, but I went in to this show with so many hopes and little expectations and was so sad to see what they have done to this remarkable show. There are so many concepts in this show and no solid direction. The production just doesn't know what it wants to be yet. I hope it finds itself soon.
"Somethin's comin', I don't know what it is but it is gonna be great!"
Updated On: 12/31/08 at 02:05 PM
