WEST SIDE STORY (2019 Revival) Preview Thread- Page 25

[joevitus]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 1:21am

bwayphreak234 said: "I think it's worth noting that the posters in this thread claiming that the injuries happened during the the rain are also the posters who have been vehemently opposed to everything about this production from the beginning. Yet, I would be SHOCKED if any of them have actually seen it."

This. And the glee masquerading as a pretense of concern is nauseating. 

[Bsmusicd]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 1:52am

I finally saw it tonight after reading the gossip for the past few weeks.

I had a few reservations about the use of video, but overall I loved the production. Much of the controversy over the cuts, multi-racial casting, and new choreography seems positively silly in retrospect. My one great disappointment was the overall quality of singing, which was the weakest of any WSS I've seen.

I was sad not to see Ben Cook as Riff, but his replacement is first-rate. Isaac Powell's understudy less so. Never once did I feel I was watching ballet dancers pretending to be gang members (which is all I remember of the 2009 revival.)

I loved the new choreography and sassy, smart take on Maria.  No longer is she a archetypical virginal social convention written by four gay men. The rumble and finale are stunning. I hope to see it again with Powell as Tony (and pray for no more injuries!)

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 2:26am

bwayphreak234 said: "I think it's worth noting that the posters in this thread claiming that the injuries happened during the the rain are also the posters who have been vehemently opposed to everything about this production from the beginning. Yet, I would be SHOCKED if any of them have actually seen it."

THIS!!! 

Millie/LuPita - have either of you seen the show? It baffles me that you seem so positively certain of something that you really don’t know much about (aside from, yes, the rain, WE GET IT!!!!!) 

In actuality, in addition to the rain the rumble is an EXTREMELY physical part of the show, with actors interacting in such ways as choreographed stage fighting, rolling around and being “thrown” onto the floor... all done completely shirtless and exposed. To say that either of these injuries were solely from the rain (again, no one knows that for sure) is just plain dumb speculation. 

Updated On: 1/11/20 at 02:26 AM

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 3:41am

I doubt you can recall the last time in the past 9 years when during previews TWO principal cast members were injured and out of the show forever/long term. It just doesn't happen. If you think rain (said it again, oh no!) has nothing to do with it, cool, but that is just dumb speculation on your part.

I never claimed to have seen this sh*tshow, of course I am not supporting it, like most people who support Alexandra and women in general. But, the only thing I've commented in this thread in a month have been about a partial view seat and the incredibly unfortunate injuries. I can not care for a show and still be bummed out when two people I really admire, have seen perform, and met several times are hurt. It seems this show is dangerous for the actors and things should be fixed so the actors feel safe and no one else gets injured. That's my opinion, feel free to have another one. 

Updated On: 1/11/20 at 03:41 AM

[joevitus]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 4:44am

No one who supports women supports this show? Delusion. 

[schubox]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 8:48am

ModernMillie3 said: "I doubt you can recall the last time in the past 9 years when during previews TWO principal cast members were injured and out of the show forever/long term. It just doesn't happen. If you think rain (said it again, oh no!) has nothing to do with it, cool, but that is just dumb speculation on your part.

I never claimedto have seen this sh*tshow, of course I am not supporting it, like most people who support Alexandraand women in general. But, the only thing I've commented in this thread in a monthhave been about apartial view seatand the incredibly unfortunate injuries. I can not care for ashow and still be bummed out when two people I really admire, have seen perform,and met several times are hurt.It seems this show is dangerous for the actorsand things should be fixed so the actors feel safe andno one else gets injured. That's my opinion, feel free to have another one."

We’re not saying rain has nothing to do with it. We’re saying we don’t know so making any assumption is just wild speculation. 

If there is something inherently dangerous in the current production, be it rain, choreography, costume, whatever; I’m sure everyone would want it to be made as safe as possible. 
 

 

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 2:10pm

GreasedLightning said: "bwayphreak234 said: "I think it's worth noting that the posters in this thread claiming that the injuries happened during the the rain are also the posters who have been vehemently opposed to everything about this production from the beginning. Yet, I would be SHOCKED if any of them have actually seen it."

THIS!!!

Millie/LuPita - have either of you seen the show? It baffles me that you seem sopositively certain of something that you really don’t know much about (aside from, yes, the rain, WEGET IT!!!!!)

In actuality, in addition to the rain the rumble is an EXTREMELY physical part of the show, with actors interacting in such ways as choreographed stagefighting, rolling aroundand being “thrown” onto the floor...all done completely shirtless and exposed. To say that either of these injuries were solely from the rain (again,no one knows that for sure) is just plain dumb speculation."

It’s not dumb speculation because the rain is by far the most likely reason for these injuries. We don’t have explicit confirmation that the rain is what caused it, but it certainly looks like the most plausible cause. The fact that people say Powell and Cook only looked like they were injured after the rain started is very suspicious. We don’t know for a fact that this the rain is why the performers are injured, but it’s in no way a leap in logic to assume it’s the cause.

 

Updated On: 1/11/20 at 02:10 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 2:45pm

I doubt you can recall the last time in the past 9 years when during previews TWO principal cast members were injured and out of the show forever/long term. It just doesn't happen. If you think rain (said it again, oh no!) has nothing to do with it, cool, but that is just dumb speculation on your part.

Couldn't agree with this more. It never happens.

And Hot Pants, you are absolutely correct in that it's not a leap in logic to make that assumption. I guess it's easier to attack users on this thread who are making sense that it is to actually think about what's  causing these injuries.Maybe people don't want to feel guilty about seeing this show knowing it's dangerous to the performers involved. Hmm....

Updated On: 1/11/20 at 02:45 PM

[JayElle]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 3:21pm

Rain wasn't an issue for the problems with show overall. The gimmicks are.

[joevitus]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 3:27pm

No one has said rain isn't a factor. But the people pushing the "the water is endangering cast members" are the same insisting that "casting Amar endangers cast members" and the ones trying very hard to spread the word that this show is/was going to be (long before anyone had seen any of it) a total disaster. And they are more joyful than sad because what they want is for this show to fail/have a dire reputation at all cost. When issues causing the accidents are fixed, they'll find something else. 

[sparkledust]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 3:43pm

Sutton Ross said: "knowing it's dangerous to the performers involved. Hmm...."

But who are you to claim that it's dangerous?  If it was truly dangerous you would think that any of the unions involved might have already interceded?  And like, it's a big gang fight on stage in the rain - it's probably supposed to look dangerous.

Would you have advocated to cut the Rollerskates in Xanadu when the original lead hurt his knee and Cheyenne Jackson replaced him?

The people you're arguing against are merely pointing out that the people making the most drastic claims have been doom and glooming this production for months in various threads and are merely seizing an opportunity to wag their finger and feel like they're somehow right (when the vast majority have openly and proudly admitted to not having seen and having no desire to see the show).

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 3:47pm

Pretty sure two principal cast members out in less than a month proves it's dangerous....

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 4:33pm

Two people injured in an intensive dance show is actually not that unusual at all.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 4:38pm

trpguyy said: "Two people injured in an intensive dance show is actually not that unusual at all."

Not when one of those people (Ben Cook) was most recently in Newsies and two different Casey Nicholas shows.  And he's the more injured one.

Listen, when I heard that there would be a West Side Story revival, I was really excited.  I had just gotten into the musical a few months before after watching the movie, and we were practically bombarded with news about this and the upcoming movie - I was thrilled.  I want the show to succeed, but the casting of Amar concerned me, as did the removal of an entire song.  Just because recent events have disappointed me doesn't mean I want the show to fail.

[Tkristop]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 5:11pm

I saw this Thursday night, and I did think the rain added to the experience, but maybe not needed for so long? I liked this reimagined version, but to be honest some of the performances were just not great. I won’t single individuals out, but I will say that Mia was a WONDERFUL Maria. Her voice alone was the best thing about the show for me. Glad I got to see it!

[StageJunkie2]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 5:15pm

Gotta agree with JayElle. Saw it today and have to admit it wasn’t the disaster folks on here have been bemoaning. Today’s run time was 1 hr 45.


Surprisingly, the cuts didn’t really bother me...and the orchestra played that most excellent score beautifully. Even the updated choreography was well done. That young ensemble danced their hearts out throughout the performance.Tony and Maria’s vocals were more than just serviceable. (Ms. Pimentel’s soprano was actually quite lovely). Only Anita didn’t work for me. And the rumble is very well staged, indeed.

But that enormous video wall gimmick ruined it for me, especially during the dance sequences. Frantic camera work (even in movies) has never been my thing. IMHO the images projected overshadowed the actual dancing on stage. Very distracting. 
 

Would I see it again? No, but I’m glad I saw it. This director’s vision of the material came up short for me. Anxiously awaiting Spielberg’s take on it this coming Christmas.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 5:30pm

I perform in a show that’s been running for close to a decade. We’ve had MANY cast members injure themselves through the course of our show over the years, some in small ways that caused them to miss a couple shows and some in ways that required intensive healing time/surgery. Does that make the show dangerous? No. But it is not without its risks, and is a large part of why we are afforded sick pay, workers’ comp, and ample resources to keep our bodies in performing shape.

I’m not saying the rain effects and sharp choreography don’t add to the risk of performing in this particular production, but any show with intense physicality comes with its own unique hurdles. Yes, it’s unfortunate that anyone got hurt while performing, but it certainly doesn’t make this production a garbage fire. Talk about blowing things out of proportion.

Add to that one of the worst cold/flu seasons in memory (trust me, lots of understudies have gone on in recent weeks at my show as well) and this just seems like a production with more risk involved than usual and a team of professionals ensuring everyone gets the recovery time they need, as needed.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 5:44pm

MollyJeanneMusic said: "trpguyy said: "Two people injured in an intensive dance show is actually not that unusual at all."

Not when one of those people (Ben Cook) was most recently in Newsies and two different Casey Nicholas shows. And he's themoreinjured one.."

This is an excellent example of a logical fallacy.

Ben performing in Newsies without a noteworthy injury is irrelevant. All dancers expect to get injured, and most plan for that one career-ending injury. I'm not arguing that dancers are expendable, rather pointing out that we should view injuries as dancers do - unfortunate but expected, rather than exceptional.

[cfbrrr]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 7:32pm

The number of injuries on “Starlight Express” was, for obvious reasons, legion.

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 2:53am

Thursday night:

Ivo has done it again. I really liked his production but it still needs work. (Un)Luckily another dancer got injured (he has now lost a Tony and a Riff) so his already long preview period has been lengthened by two weeks.

He uses a backdrop of video throughout the production. The entire back wall of the theatre in crystal clear digital. Sometimes it's close ups of the gang members faces (just because) sometimes its moving tours of the West Side of Manhattan (not really, Manhattan doesn't look like that anymore, my guess it's the Bronx) sometimes closeups of scenes happening onstage, sometimes entire sequences in off stage rooms. I am surprised at how much of the choreography I loved,inasmuch as the Jerome Robbins is iconic.

The only downfall is he wanted young fresh faces. Young. And trained dancers. And the best dancers aren't studying acting at that age. So I have to say I have never seen a Broadway musical with such uniformally bad acting. I mean it isn't exactly amateurish, but maybe good high school acting? Maria was cast because of her soprano (and an absolutely gorgeous soprano it is) not for her subtlety in acting (her last monologue is awful), Tony at least has this wonderful energy to him that convinces us he's in love even if his line readings don't. Anita should know better (oh no Anita no) as she has Broadway credits and even though she has a nice quality to her, she isn't up to it. Bernardo is the best, but he was also Jigger in the last Carousel. Most of the cast are just college professional high school graduates (the new Riff, who's first night I saw comes off very gay for a street tough). I worry Ivo is so busy making a whole other play with video he is ignoring his neophyte cast on stage But a lot of it is thrilling and I think it will get by on name brand alone if it doesn't get great reviews.

O

[SisterGeorge]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 4:59pm

Owen22 said:  Most of the cast are just college professional high school graduates (the new Riff, who's first night I saw comes off very gay for a street tough). I worry Ivo is so busy making a whole other play with video he is ignoring his neophyte cast on stage."

I get the sense that's his MO. I have both loved and been bored to tears by past Ivo productions, but the actors, especially in his video extravaganzas,  seem to be pretty much on their own. Take Network, for example, where Cranston was thrilling but the secondary performances by seasoned, acclaimed professionals were as dull as they come. The acting from the stellar cast in All About Eve was dismal across the board. On the other hand, I thought the acting in WSS was at least good enough that it did not take away from the extraordinary dancing and thrilling concept. I can't wait to see this again.




"

 

[adavidw]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 5:53pm

BeNice said: "He was on, yes."

I doubt that very much. I saw the show the previous night (Friday) and Riff was still played by Ahmad Simmons (the Riff understudy). Dharon was still playing Action.

I spoke to Dharon briefly at the stage door and asked him when he'd start as Riff. He said probably the following Friday. It would be very surprising to have him jump into the role a week early (unless Ahmad Simmons got injured or something). Otherwise, my understanding is that they still needed more time for Dharon to learn the role or to bring the new Action up to speed.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 6:02pm

SisterGeorge said: "I get the sense that's his MO. I have both loved and been bored to tears by past Ivo productions, butthe actors, especially in his video extravaganzas,seem to be pretty much on their own. Take Network, for example, where Cranston was thrilling but the secondary performances by seasoned, acclaimed professionals were as dull as they come.The acting from the stellar cast in All About Eve was dismal across the board. On the other hand, I thought the acting in WSS was at least good enough that it did not take away from the extraordinary dancing and thrilling concept.I can't wait to see this again."

 

I've definitely felt the same way about many of Ivo's production. He's not the best when it comes to actor-direction. I've seen some excellent performances in his productions (Isaac Powell in this, Ruth Wilson in Hedda Gabler, Mark Strong in A View From the Bridge, Michael C. Hall in Lazarus, and a few others). But as you said about Network, the leads are often excellent, while the supporting cast often feels all over the place (though in this case, I would actually throw Cranston in there too - I didn't like his performance in Network). 

The most consistently-acted Ivo production I've seen was Roman Tragedies, and that was a cast full of actors in his own company. People with whom he had a long-standing professional relationship. Plus they had been performing this show for years. 

I remember seeing The Crucible in early previews, and feeling like the actors really hadn't found their rhythm or their characters yet, but I was pleased when I returned to the production shortly before it closed, and I thought the performances had settled in very nicely. IMO, Ben Whishaw and Sophie Okonedo started out seeming really miscast, delivering bizarre, stilted performances. But seeing it again later on, I thought both performances were very strong, and well-deserving of the Tony nominations they received. But Saoirse Ronan (who I think is a brilliant actress, and perfectly cast in the role of Abigail) continued to feel just a little bit lost on that stage. Bill Camp was phenomenal though. 

 

 

 

Updated On: 1/12/20 at 06:02 PM

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 6:32pm

"I remember seeing The Crucible in early previews, and feeling like the actors really hadn't found their rhythm or their characters yet, but I was pleased when I returned to the production shortly before it closed, and I thought the performances had settled in very nicely. IMO, Ben Whishaw and Sophie Okonedo started outseemingreally miscast, delivering bizarre, stilted performances. But seeing it again later on, I thought both performances were very strong, and well-deserving of the Tony nominations they received. But Saoirse Ronan (who I think is a brilliant actress, and perfectly cast in the role of Abigail) continued to feel just a little bit lost on that stage. Bill Camp was phenomenal though."

I thought the exact same about Saoirse's performance.

 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 6:38pm

Isn't that how her character is meant to act though, considering she is faking the whole thing and just waiting to be caught out?

I thought she was great, they all were, especially Bill Camp.

Even Okonedo who is usually terrible was very good x