WEST SIDE STORY Revival To Include New Songs By Sheik/Sater

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 9:47am

According to the musical's bookwriter, Arthur Laurents, the Broadway revival of West Side Story projected for the 2008-09 season will feature a revised score with new songs by the Spring Awakening team of composer Duncan Sheik and lyricist Steven Sater.

"We're not scrapping the whole Bernstein/Sondheim score," says Laurents, who will direct the production, "but I want to make this a West Side Story that really speaks to the kids today. We had some preliminary meetings with Steve (Sondheim) and he's okay with allowing Duncan and Steven to help us fix some of the flaws."

"For example, I always wanted Maria to have a song at the end instead of that long monologue with the gun and Duncan and Steven wrote a great one already. Something about an orange winter and the word of your bullets. I have no idea what it means but it's very fresh and contemporary."

"We're also cutting 'Gee, Officer Krupke,'" continues Laurents, "and replacing it with that song, 'Totally F*CKed,' which I think is a more realistic expression of what the characters are feeling at the time. And we're going to use that jumping up and down choreography, too. I mean, what Jerome Robbins did was good but it takes too long to learn. Why waste all that rehearsal time and money teaching those complicated ballet steps when audiences go nuts for all that jumping up and down?"

"'Totally F*CKed' really is the universal showtune," says Sater. "It expresses in general terms an emotion that comes up in nearly every musical. Duncan and I are seriously considering allowing all Broadway revivals interpolate 'Totally F*CKed' into their scores. Billy Bigelow can sing 'Totally F*CKed' instead of 'Soliloquy.' Tevye can sing it when the Cossacks ruin his daughter's wedding. It works in every show."

Says composer Sheik, "Steven gave me a copy of the CD last week. There's some good music in the show but it can use some work. Did this ever play on Broadway?"

"I've learned a lot about lyric writing in the short time I've spent with Steven Sater," says Sondheim. "For example, this whole business about slant rhyming. I've spent over fifty years writing for Broadway knocking myself out trying to come up with perfect rhymes but I never knew that audiences won't mind if you just write something that comes sort of close to being a rhyme. If I knew that back in the 60s I could have written twice as many musicals in my career. And maybe one or two of them might have made some money."
WEST SIDE STORY Revival To Include New Songs By Sheik/Sater

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 9:50am

I really can't wait for this stupid day to be over !

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 9:51am

Oh, c'mon, this one is hilarious!

I can't wait for all the Grey Gardeners to come freak out!

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 9:52am

This one, I must admit, had me at first.

It wasn't until "Gee Office Krupke" that I really figured it out.

I'm slow.

But this is funny, really funny.

[jeffrey1dog]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 9:55am

Lol - Calm down Greek. You'll be on your way soon enough

I think that's kinda nuts putting "Totally F*CKed" in "West Side Story." You know there's going to be a big outcry from fans of this classic story, and to incorporate a song that has profane language will most certainly shock & appall people.
Plus the fact that it's currently in another Broadway show it's almost like cheating the public.
I mean it's OK for "SA" ... I'm not a prude, but puhleez... not in "WSS"!

[acrocksyo]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:06am

scaryclown, don't worry it had me going too until I read the part about cutting "Gee Officer Krupke," then I was like "Oh holla it's April 1st!"

Durp!

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:11am

Oh, jeff baby, please don't tell me you didn't check today's date !!!

And it is funny, but it's soooooo obvious ! I prefer the pranks that leave you wondering for a bit !
Updated On: 4/1/08 at 10:11 AM

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:17am

Haha!!! I actually thought they were serious for a second :X

[aliciag]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:18am

"For example, I always wanted Maria to have a song at the end instead of that long monologue with the gun and Duncan and Steven wrote a great one already. Something about an orange winter and the word of your bullets. I have no idea what it means but it's very fresh and contemporary."

Oh my gosh... hilarious! I think I choked on my water at that point. Happy April Fools!!!

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:18am

This one got me! I saw the hadline before I left for work and was shocked. Didn't read it until I got to work. I totally forgot it was April 1st.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:23am

This actually had me at first, and I was kind of upset. Happy April Fools Day!

[jeffrey1dog]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:42am

Lol - Oh well - then I guess Michael Reidell didn't win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism either. LMAO

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:46am

Yeah the Riedel one got me too. I actually sent an e-mail to a friend in NYC telling him about it. And then I opened it and read it!

Updated On: 4/1/08 at 10:46 AM

[shh282]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 10:51am

I thought that was serious for a minute- oh my god I would have cried a little on the inside.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:01am

I actually thought to myself that I wasn't going to go see it. That it would be ruined! I love SA's music but wasn't crazy at the thought of them writing for West Side Story. it just seemed so wrong!

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:08am

Sorry, not funny to me. The thought literally made me vomit.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:15am

And I hear they'll reality-TV cast Maria, too!

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:19am

After reading it, I found it to be quite funny!

[ThatBroadwayBitch]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:33am

That whole Bernstein/Sondheim thing. Haha. That was a nicely written article.

[coolkid11776]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:35am

Is this really going to happen? it would be really cool I'd like to see This.

Tony Singing Totally F*CKed after he couldn't be with Maria lol

[ChiChi]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:43am

"I really can't wait for this stupid day to be over !"

I hear ya!

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 11:48am

Anyone think Laurents is gonna be pissed about this?

[BroadwayBaby21]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 1:38pm

Wow, totally forgot it was April Fool's and when I read the headline comepletely freaked out (and not in a good way).
...then I read the article and laughed. :)
Thanks BWW for the great prank!

Updated On: 4/1/08 at 01:38 PM

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 1:48pm

I heared that Tony and Maria have sex on stage.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/1/08 at 2:42pm

I fell for it. Laurents is a crazy bastard but he'd get sued by Sondheim and the Robbins estate before this travesty made it to the stage.

Besides, Laurents hated the revival of Gypsy with Peters because it took too many risks. This new West Side will be traditional (I hope).

I actually saw a High School production many years ago that changed it to Bloods vs. Crips. Seriously. I almost called them in but decided it didn't really matter.