WEST SIDE STORY first preview reviews!- Page 5

[Actor 7]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 3:59pm

Is it true that the set heights are much taller at the Palace Theatre than in Washington DC. A designer friend said it looked as if they raised everything high enough to go to the top of the actual Palace Theatre proscenium arch, making it much more dramatic. I know many times when a production reaches Broadway, the production values go higher. This all sounds intriguing to me. Have there been any other noticeable changes in the set? Would love to hear what people are seeing now that it's at the Palace.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 4:08pm

Yes, the sets did look bigger to me. They fit the Palace extremely well. The set for the rumble got applause last night!

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 4:21pm

Is this worth premium price?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 4:40pm

No. Nothing is worth paying $300 for.

[On the Aisle]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 4:46pm

I'm a total civilian here, but hoping that you guys are open minded because I seem to disagree on one large point.

It was an incredible show. The sets and choreography were, for lack of a better word, stunning. It's also an exceptionally talented cast. And yes, the costuming needs work. That said, everyone I saw it with agreed that Matt Cavanaugh turned in a weak, uneven performance. He rounds out his notes in what seems to be an attempt at a style, the vibrato fails and the chemistry with Maria/Josefina is seldom credible. I found him a particularly jarring contrast to Riff, well beyond the fact that he is definitely written to be dissimilar. I would never believe this guy was a Jet, past or present.

Matt's handsome, and this may carry him in the orchestra and front mezzanine, but where the voice and acting chops mean everything- up in the balcony, he is the weakest link of a solid troupe.

Just my ten cents...I think this show will do well in any case.

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 5:35pm

Can't wait! I'm trying to see what balcony seats are availible and looks like they are sold out a lot...I can't find any balcony seats.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 6:11pm

Yes, you guys should read my review of the sixth preview of THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'.

OH MY GOD.

"Like a Rolling Stone." A song about falling from grace, prostitution, all of that. Sung with bouncing balls. Sung by an painfully hammy Michael Arden. And. Sung. With. A. Clap-. Along.


But anyway, to keep on topic... damn. Karen Olivio is sexy. George Akram looks like he's part of a boy band with Spanish flavoring.

(although the choreography for "Masters of War" was great, and... no. No. The show blew. It deserved to flop.)

[mica]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 6:20pm

Well, i saw the first preview last night. If you're going to see it you don't want to read this as there are SPOILERS:
First of all,THE GOOD STUFF: how wonderful to hear a complete live orchestra with real instruments-the 2 percussionists had their own spaces in the box seats on the right and left. Bernstein's, Sid Ramin's & Irwin Kostal's orchestrations are perhaps the greatest of any musical. The original Robbins staging is breathtaking-probably the greatest dancing of any musical ever and the dancers couldn't be better.
Arthur Laurents made some major decisions here-you probably know some of it-like the Sharks speak and sing in Spanish at various times. I FEEL PRETTY is practically all in Spanish as is A BOY LIKE THAT but I HAVE A LOVE is in English. Since Anita is still firmly a PR she sings in Spanish while Maria, in love with an American, sings in English-get it?
Here's the most glowing wrong Laurents did IMO. There's no 'ole' at the end of AMERICA. Yes, that OLE is the difference of a big heart applause and CHEERS.
I'm really not sure why it was eliminated-the number is great and 'Anita' is spectacular. She also got the biggest hand at curtain call-which shows you how 'great' the Maria & Tony were.
Well, Matt Cavenaugh, who was wonderful in Grey Gardens, is much more tenderer Tony than what we know. He sings more tenderly. Well, i read that as not as passionate. I don't see the passion he has for Maria and we want to see that passion.
Yet the duets they do are so tastefully done, they send chills. One wishes his 'Something's Coming' and 'Maria' had more passion in them-vocally.
I could go on but i don't know how much you'd want to hear.
All in all-it was a hot audience looking for action and loving appreciating all they could possibly get.

[Actor 7]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 6:26pm

This all sounds very good. I had a feeling West Side Story would look very good at The Palace Theatre. The Palace has one of those very tall proscenium arches similar to the old opera houses. It also has a very high reach from the deck of the stage to the top of the fly grid. Ten stories of empty space and many side lofts for putting scenery not being used for one scene or another. I had a feeling the production values would grow higher as it reached Broadway. I can't wait to see how this looks. I bet the lighting also improves from the excellent lighting of the DC run.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 6:57pm

The translated song lyric is "Me siento hermosa". The title is listed as "Siento Hermosa" in the playbill- don't blame Lin Manuel Miranda for that omission, his translation is correct.


RentBoy, the man in your avatar had the producers of Rent institute the original general rush system because he could never afford to see theatre, up until his death in his mid-thirties.

Jonathan Larson wanted to give people who wouldn't normally attend theatre the opportunity to see his show. It was never about students, it was for the benefit of anyone.

Updated On: 2/24/09 at 06:57 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:11pm

I thought it was "Me siento tan hermosa"? Or have they changed it since the NPR story?

And, re: the picture of the costumes, whoops. I fail at reading comprehension.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:14pm

What does "I feel you pretty" mean?
I liked THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'.

No one has mentioned if there are changes in the ballet.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:15pm

Anyone know what the balcony boxes are like for this show? They were sold to us as full view.

[Jon]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:18pm

Perhaps the "Ole'!" was cut from the end of "America" because it could be considered a cliche' - something you hear at a bullfight in Mexico, something that works for comic effect in "Spanish Rose" abd "Hernando's Hideaway", but not something an actual Puerto Rican would actually say.
Updated On: 2/24/09 at 07:18 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:28pm

Oh wait, it's "Hoy me siento tan hermosa."

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 7:36pm

I didn't think "muy" sounded right, but I knew there was a beat there. But it has always been "me siento" in the song.

[theminutepast]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 8:57pm

Ok, on this "Siento Hermosa" and noun thing. The me in me siento hermosa is not really the noun. It's part of the reflexive verb, which English doesn't have. Me siento hermosa literally means I feel myself pretty. If you wanted an actual noun in there, it would be yo me siento hermosa. At least, this is what I paid to learn from actual Spanish speakers during two years of college Spanish classes.

[Deycallmemimi2]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 9:26pm

To know that the OLE is cut brings me such joy!!! I love West Side Story, but one of the things that bothers me about the musical, is how there is no authenticity in how it treats the Puerto Rican characters! Puerto Ricans would never use OLE, in addition, as much as I love the song AMERICA, its pretty much a Mariachi song which isn't Puerto Rican either! Regardless, WSS is still a classic, however cutting the OLE makes it a seem a little more authentic!

[zamedy]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 10:18pm

Wow. Very interesting takes on the whole "OLE" issue. After reading the post that it was taken out, I was ready to write a post imploring the powers that be to put it back in. But the reasoning for taking/leaving it out makes a lot of sense. No Puerto Rican would ever say that phrase. Omitting it speaks to the authenticity of this production. Very.. very smart.

I don't live in NYC and don't get to see too many Broadway shows, but it's sounding more and more like this will be the next show I WILL see when afforded the opportunity. I bought my friend and her husband tickets for Christmas to a March performance. I'm so jealous. Sounds like this revival of a musical masterpiece was well worth the wait.

Here's hoping it can fill the Palace week after week, and its leads can keep up with the vocal demands of this show.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 10:27pm

I may be going to NYC in November, so I REALLY hope it lasts until at least then!

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 10:36pm

Question, for someone who does not speak a word of Spanish and isn't that familiar with the show... do you recommend seeing this production?

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 10:39pm

si!

that is about the extent of my Spanish but GO SEE THIS! Honestly, the Spanish, if anything, enhances the show and you can pretty much follow along with their facial expressions/tone of their sinigng

[teka21]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 11:09pm

"Is the song really called "Siento Hermosa"? That makes no sense in Spanish, it's missing the noun!"

Blaxx,

The noun Yo (I) is not needed in Spanish- Siento means I feel.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 11:10pm

^^
Thats what I figured too. It's the same in Italian, since the verb is conjugated to the correct noun anyways they noun is understood

[kate2]

Posted: 2/24/09 at 11:23pm

Can someone pleaaassssse tell me if there are rush tickets available during previews!?