The songs that have been translated for WEST SIDE STORY so far...

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:41pm

Speaking of Sondheim, Lin is in charge of translating the West Side Story songs into Spanish for the upcoming revival! Not all of them, FYI. So far, just the Sharks part in the "Tonight" quintet, "I Feel Pretty" and "A Boy Like That." He literally got to go over to "Steve's" house to talk about how to do the lyrics. There are Spanish translations out there, but some parts are good and some are clanky, so they want Lin to do a new version. For instance, Sondheim said that some versions of "I Feel Pretty" translate as "I Am Pretty," which is not correct — especially if it features the Maria I saw do it in community theatre.


http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/122528.html/pg2

interesting. nothing about 'America.'

[bwayfan9]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:43pm

I am a little sad to hear this

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:45pm

I was at Lin's Chatterbox and he said that 'America' was going to be in English.
Updated On: 10/22/08 at 09:45 PM

[bwayfan9]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:46pm

I think I Feel Pretty is one of Sondhiem's best, keep it english

[Pippin]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:49pm

"I think I Feel Pretty is one of Sondhiem's best"

Sondheim doesn't.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:51pm

Why must they change a classic score?
This makes me sad, and slightly annoyed.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:51pm

Yeah, it seems like in every other Sondheim interview I read he complains about how he is ashamed of his lyrics for "I Feel Pretty." I guess he's happy to have them be Spanish now...

[bwayfan9]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:53pm

WishingOnlyWounds2, don't forget, it's going to have a long pre-broadway tryout and a lot of broadway previews, so they will do a good job.


I like the lyrics for I Feel Pretty. They are bubbly and cute and silly and fun, just like the melody.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:07pm

It's a great idea for the cast of 30 year olds playing teenagers.
So much for the "new" West Side Story.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:09pm

The lyrics may fit the bubbly melody of the song, but Sondheim is not fond of them because he believes they are too sophisticated to be sung by a rather unsophisticated girl, who presumably doesn't know that much English.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:15pm

For instance, Sondheim said that some versions of "I Feel Pretty" translate as "I Am Pretty," which is not correct — especially if it features the Maria I saw do it in community theatre.

That was quite funny. I am sure that Lin-Manuel Miranda will do a wonderful job translating the lyrics, and I really cannot wait to hear what he does. I think it makes sense that "America" is sung in English since Anita is embracing American culture through the song, it is only fair that she sings it in English. It'd be nice if Rosalia's verses were in Spanish though, although that might just accentuate the theme a tad too much.
I just want to hear about the cast!

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:18pm

I can't help but to think of the people who will be experiencing West Side Story for the first time with this revival and only speak English. The story won't flow as well jumping between languages.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:19pm

I'm sure they'll get over it

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:25pm

The story won't flow as well jumping between languages.

I imagine they'll find some way of making it work.

But hey, what about the book? No one, not even Arthur J. Laurents (the J. stands for Jesus) can make a gang member who says things like "Frabbajabba!" and "Cracko jacko!" and "Sperm to worm! Womb to tomb!" a tough guy, capable of scaring a turtle (let alone the audience).

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:27pm

I'm sure if Laurents wants to, he will change some of those way corny lines. He had no problem altering minor sections of GYPSY's book.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:29pm

If he wanted to get rid of the corny lines, he'd have to burn the whole book and start over.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:37pm

If they wanted to scare audiences, a good start would be casting some thug-looking dudes who don't look like freakin' ballet dancers. I really wish somebody would come along and actually blow the dust off of this piece and take it in a new direction.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:42pm

Well the chances of getting thugs to dance Robbins is unlikely...
But the choreography cannot be changed. And I just don't get why some would want it changed. The choreography is as important as the score is to the show. Updated On: 10/22/08 at 10:42 PM

[BNN]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:48pm

Do you guys not find dancers intimidating?

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:50pm

Do you guys not find dancers intimidating?

I do. But I'd rather not talk about it.

[Pippin]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 11:04pm

"Well the chances of getting thugs to dance Robbins is unlikely... "

God, you people are sheltered. hang around some dance studios in any major city, and you can find any number of suspects who can act, sing, and pass as a "thug" who have had years and years of ballet training.

trust me, I'm sure that if they wanted to take it in that direction, they could find about 30 thuggish-looking ballet dancers in the whole of the United States.

Updated On: 10/22/08 at 11:04 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 11:07pm

Would these guys look like thugs? Aren't they teenagers?

[Bwayidiot]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 11:56pm

You can be sure of this: I will not be attending this bastardization of a classic - or a rewrite of Brigadoon.

[Bobby Maler]

Posted: 10/23/08 at 12:13am

Mebbe they'll say the words in Spanish and then repeat them right afterwards in English, like on Dora the Explorer.

[geekgirl06]

Posted: 10/23/08 at 12:21am

If someone is seeing West Side Story for the first time and hasn't previously heard the song I Feel Pretty, then I'm actually shocked they left the house in the first place to go see a Broadway revival of WSS. Not to mention one can still watch a show in another language and appreciate it without understanding it word for word. That's the beauty of acting.

And are they really changing the score? I thought they were just translating some of it to Spanish? It's still the same show.