WEST SIDE STORY (2019 Revival) Preview Thread — Page 6

SouthernCakes said: "Are there any big scene changes or pieces or is it mostly blank and projections?"

Scene changes are the back wall opening to show the rooms. Otherwise, open stage and projections.

QueenAlice said: "Fish cut almost all the choreography out of Oklahoma along with all the music that went with it.And Agnes DeMille’s contribution to that show was right up there with Jerome Robbins’s on West Side Story. To say Fish didn’t cut anything is to miss the point completely. Yes he did. He cut a lot."

this doesnt seem complicated: as much as you may miss the original choreo, the Fish production did not cut any songs, dialogue, plot. It was the same story told from a new angle. To compare that with a production that eliminates whole songs, shaves off at least 30 minutes, and seems to wholly reduce entire characters presence, seems silly. Even if you hated Oklahoma! revival-- i didnt, but you went for the traditional choreo, i get why you would-- this WSS sounds like a hella lot more of a chop job. ANd maybe it will be brilliant! in that barn of a theater, i am sure i will get to it before it closes.

Globefan said: "What was Cool like?"



"Cool" wasn't especially memorable for me. Unless there was something I really didn't pick up on, it was done fairly traditionally, except with the new choreography.

ljay889 said: "With the much shorter runtime, does it feel like much of the book is cut?"

I couldn't tell you what was cut. Maybe some Doc stuff? Maybe some Anita stuff? They both seemed like smaller parts to me. But it just felt streamlined, not like story points were being skipped over.

It doesn't feel like a too-short run time, partly because it was first preview and the pacing isn't there.

BJR said: "ljay889 said: "With the much shorter runtime, does it feel like much of the book is cut?"

I couldn't tell you what was cut. Maybe some Doc stuff? Maybe some Anita stuff? They both seemed like smaller parts to me. But it just felt streamlined, not like story points were being skipped over.

It doesn't feel like a too-short run time, partly because it was first preview and the pacing isn't there."

Interesting. I’m going to assume they purposely cast an Anita that wouldn’t steal the show, something that Chita, Debbie, and Karen all did.

I just got home from the first preview. I will admit that I was a skeptic going into this as I have never been particularly fond of Ivo Van Hove's work before. That being said, the West Side Story I saw tonight was utterly breathtaking, invigorating, and EXHILARATING beyond belief. I truly loved this production.

Ivo Van Hove stated in a previous interview that his concept for this production was "a race against time", and this is very evident here in the speediness and urgency of the pacing. The concept is crystal clear, and 110% effective. I have seen West Side Story countless times before, but I have never been on the edge of my seat like I was tonight.

Ivo pulls some old tricks out of his hat such as the live video feeds and a lot of onstage rain. However, unlike in some of his previous works I have seen, they don't feel gimmicky here at all. One problem I did have was that I felt like the drug store and beauty shop were too far upstage, but the live recording of the scenes in these areas was deftly done and projected onto the back wall. The entire stage of the Broadway has been laid bare from wall to wall and from the deck to the rafters. The playing space is CAVERNOUS, but it never feels too big or empty.

The cast is excellent with Issac Powell's Tony being the standout. He is truly stellar. The cast is very young, insanely talented, and full of energy. I found the new choreography to be absolutely thrilling and flawlessly executed by the entire cast.

This is very much a West Side Story for today's America. It's extremely dark, gritty, and raw. This will not be for everyone by a long shot. I think this will be one of the most divisive productions ever as a matter of fact. For me, though, this was a reminder of just how exciting and stirring Broadway theatre can be.

@broadwayphreak234

I feel like you and I have similar taste in shows. I get the sense that we tend to agree on divisive things, but maybe it's just a few recent cases.

I...don't understand why it's surprising anyone that this is good. Ivo is one of the world's most talented modern directors, with a pristine, Tony-winning track record of work in NYC. WSS is one of the most beloved American musicals of all time. They workshopped this production for nearly 2 years. Sondheim himself stands behind the changes being made.

Only this board could twist it in the past year to make it seem like this would be a disaster. The production is nearly completely sold out through the holidays - in the Broadway Theater of all places. This is going to be a huge hit.

VotePeron said: "The production is nearly completely sold out through the holidays - in the Broadway Theater of all places. This is going to be a huge hit."

You might be right, but I don't think it's a stretch to say at this point a large number of ticket sales could very likely be due to name recognition alone. We don't know how audiences are going to react to this specific production once they actually see it and realize it may not be the West Side Story they were expecting when they bought their ticket, and how that will affect word of mouth.

kade.ivy said: "Are there scenes acted offstage that are filmed and projected?"

Yes, a few of them are totally offstage. Though most of them are in little rooms that built just behind the stage that you can partially see into.



Are the cameras “in” the story?

Not really. We are meant to suspend our disbelief and ignore them.



What purpose does this serve dramatically (narratively)or aesthetically?

Depends on who you ask I guess. It's sort of up to artistic interpretation. In my opinion, it creates a stark difference between the interior spaces, which are safe, realistic, and grounded, as opposite the exterior spaces - i.e, the streets of New York - which are cold, vulnerable, and unforgiving.