WEST SIDE STORY review 6/13 8pm

[broadwayhoofer]

Posted: 6/13/09 at 11:54pm

It was my first time seeing the show and trying the lotto and I WON! Josefina was there... Thank God! I heard she had been out for a while and was so happy she would be there for my first time seeing it! Over all, the show, in my opinion was amazing! There was a bunch of understudies and swings on.

Manuel Santos was on for Chino. John Arthur Greene was on for Riff. He was awesome in the role. I know I've never seen Cody, but I don't think I really want to after seeing someone as masculine and TALL like John. I've heard such bad things about Cody and don't understand how he originated Riff and not THIS guy! Amazing acting/singing/dancing. Bravo, John.

On for Anita was Kat Nejat. What... a... mess. I'll start off by saying she was much better in the second act than in the first, but if you were standing anywhere near me during intermission, you would have heard nothing but negative things about her from me. First of all, "Karen Olivo can't dance the role!"... MY ASS!!! WTF. Karen looked better dancing "America" than this chick ever will. I'm serious. Secondly, you know a performer isn't comfortable singing when you can actually see them squinting their eyes to sing. I could not tell what the hell was going on with her face during "America" She almost looked like a Pageant Queen with her fake smile while dancing. Her voice was not terrible, but not good either. She looked like she was nervous during the "Tonight" Quintet. Going on and off tempo with the music. All that being said, her acting and singing were a lot better during act two. I'm sorry but, Karen, get better soon!

I have nothing bad to say about Matt. He was delightful. I loved everything about him. I don't understand people who had problem with his "goat vibrato"? His vibrato was not overwhelming as some have described it. His voice was heavenly to me.

Now onto Josefina... MY GOD. What an angel. I didn't think I would love her this much. Tony Award worthy performance, indeed! Amazing acting and singing! I was just blown away by her. I knew she had a "pretty" voice, but I thought it was just gonna be just thin and nice to listen to. Nope, her voice surpassed my expectations. Some notes just had so much power behind them which surprised me. Beautiful!

Great show. Other standouts were Pamela Otterson's dancing as Graziella, as well as Ryan Steele as Baby John! Great show tonight with the exception of Anita. Sorry, Kat.

Updated On: 6/14/09 at 11:54 PM

[BwayBoundJoe]

Posted: 6/13/09 at 11:58pm

Glad you enjoyed it. :)

[lull89]

Posted: 6/13/09 at 11:58pm

Nice to see you enjoyed the show, but would it be too much trouble to put some line breaks in your review? That big block of text is kind of hard to read!

[broadwayhoofer]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:02am

Oops sorry! Adjusted

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:04am

Ugh. Poor Karen. at least she attempted the show at the matinee.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:13am

Is there any news? She seems like really sick.

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:15am

Glad you liked the show! Josefina is just a delight to see and hear. She and Matt make for a beautiful Maria and Tony.

What's up with all the absences?

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:18am

Trust me, be glad you didn't have to hear the atrociousness of Yarina 'singing' which was basically shouting and her terrible acting.

I'm glad you enjoyed the show, and I love Josefina and Matt as well!

[broadwayhoofer]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:23am

I don't understand why Alena Watters isn't Anita standby anymore? She seems like she would have been a better fit than both of Karen's understudies! I saw her singing "A Boy like that/I have a love" duet on that website and thought she was incredible. I heard she's a fantastic dancer as well. What a pity.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:28am

That sounds lovely! Why isn't that woman still invovled with the show?

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:28am

That is so random about Alena. I also am wondering what happened.

[broadwayhoofer]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 12:33am

Just looked at my Playbill again and noticed Kat Nejat is understudy for Maria as well. I'm interested in seeing what she'd be like in the role!
Updated On: 6/14/09 at 12:33 AM

[Livewire413]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 1:14am

has that been the norm in the past? Having someone understudy Anita AND Maria? I know that some people have incredible range and versatility but that seems like a really big difference between the two parts vocally to have the same person cover?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 1:20am

Great thread, Karen!

[broadwayhoofer]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 1:34am

^^^ ...Huh?

[sarbear2]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 1:39am

I attended the matinee performance, and imagine my disappointment when it was announced that Kat was taking over for act two. A friend of mine does merch at the show and he said that the rape scene is what won Karen her Tony. It's commendable that Kat jumped into the role so quickly for the matinee, but God, what I wouldn't give to see Karen's act two performance.
Updated On: 6/14/09 at 01:39 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 1:40am

^ That is certainly Karen's best part of the show. She is truly incredible in that scene, and all of act 2.
Hopefully you will get another chance to see her!

Could you tell Karen was sick during act 1?
Updated On: 6/14/09 at 01:40 AM

[broadwayhoofer]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 2:10am

I was confused at the part before "A Boy like that..." when Anita pulls up the sheet from the bed and Maria says "Now you know". Um, now you know what? Someone explain please? Thanks.
Updated On: 6/14/09 at 02:10 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 2:14am

You may not have been unable to see it from where you were sitting. She reveals Tony's wifebeater, which he left in the bed. Now Anita knows that Maria just slept with Tony.
Updated On: 6/14/09 at 02:14 AM

[btsing]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 10:25am

I never write or participate on these boards, but I can't sit quietly here. I was there last night as well (3rd time seeing the show) and have to say that I completely disagree with your assessment of Kat Nejat as Anita. It was her first time on and I thought she was fabulous! She was a pocket sized Anita!

What a day she must have had. After having to step into a Tony winners role at intermission to have to come back and do the second performance! I can't imagine the pressure. On top of that, a friend of mine said that Kat had been out all week as well!

I thought her performance, while maybe under-rehearsed, was spectacular! You could tell she was thinking a little too much at the top of the first bridal shop scene but by America had completely settled in. She was hitting the beats, playing the subtext, and looked like she was having a good time.

Her voice on America was fantastic as was her dancing. Who knew a voice that big could come out of such a small body.

She and Josafina had fantastic chemistry and played very well opposite each other during "boy like that/ I have a love" and through out the show. And as for her "Rape Scene"....When she screamed "Don't touch me!" it looked like the jet boy she was screaming at was genuinely scared ( I was in tears as was the 50 year old man from texas sitting next to me). You could tell Kat was LIVING in the moment and she truely had me at the end of my seat.

She gave a commanding performance and I would love to be able to see her go on again when she feels totally comfortable and can't wait to hear about her Maria. Of course you miss Karen! She won the tony for a reason! And to be truthful, I missed Kat during "Hoy Me Siento". But if you show up to the Palace and see that Kat is on for Karen don't be disappointed. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I know I was...
Updated On: 6/14/09 at 10:25 AM

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 11:16pm

On top of that, a friend of mine said that Kat had been out all week as well!


She was in on Wednesday.

I have to say that the completely opposite opinions in this thread are pretty interesting.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 11:25pm

It's nice to see people can be disappointed without throwing a virtual temper tantrum.

[g4rat]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 11:29pm

don't ginx the thread haha

[sarbear2]

Posted: 6/14/09 at 11:40pm

No, I couldn't tell at all. That's partially why I flipped when Kat took over.