West Side Story Review- Friday December 26th 2:00 **Possible Spoilers**

Okay, so today I saw WSS at the National Theater in DC. I had no tickets going in but I tried the lotto and ended up winning four tickets, most people won. The four seats were front row center, great seats.

The Cast:
Matt Cavenaugh (Tony)- Ehh, he is okay. He is not as bad as some people think he is. His singing is okay, he can carry a note. But his acting was mediocre. When he didn't have to yell it was pretty painful. He could easily yell "Maria!" and make it moving but anytime he had to do something that involved showing emotion or sadness he was pretty pathetic. The character is not easy to play, he is sort of a wuss. Don't know if he should be replaced or not, he isn't bad enough for them to get a new Tony. Oh and he can't snap on time, when everyone is in Docs the Jets are all snapping and he always late.

Josefina Scaglione (Maria)-Wow, she is phenomenal. First off, she is a beautiful girl, absolutely gorgeous. Second, amazing actress. Third, incredible singer. Her Maria is amazing, her finale was incredibly emotional and intense. I said to my Dad on the way home It's rare that you can get the whole audience so tense and into it. From the moment the gunshot went off everyone in the theater was holding their breath. Her performance was spectacular and she will go places and definitely be a favorite at the Tonys

Karen Olivo (Anita)- I knew she would live up to my expectations and more! She is incredible performer. It is rare to have someone catch your attention so easily. She is also beautiful. For not being a dancer she sure can dance. She blends in well and Anita doesn't have to dance that much... She is at the Gym and it's not an incredible amount of hard dancing and then in America with also not the hardest dancing. I really wish she had more to sing where she can use her great belt. I would go back just for her. Tonys are calling!

Cody Green (Riff)- Again, Ehh. Riff isn't as much of an acting role as other. He can also carry a note but would not like to hear him belt a song. He is a fantastic dancer and that saves him. I don't think he needs to be replaced, again not worth the replacing.

George Akram (Bernardo)- Okay, not much to judge. Does what he has to do.

Curtis Holbrook (Action)- I don't see what everyone loves about him. He is a great dancer and a good singer but I thought he over acted.

The Jets- All amazing dancers! Incredible dancers, but I didn't love "Officer Krumpke" I thought it was overdone and kind of stupid.

The Sharks- Also not much to judge but they were very good dancers.

The Production:
The Set- I thought the set was amazing. I for one have never heard a set get applause. When the Highway comes in for the rumble it got applause, everything about the set is very good. I think it could take some design awards.

The Costumes- I thought all the costumes were very good except for the jets girls. But other wise very appropriate.


Act II:
I have seen the movie many times and have always been moved but not like today. It is rare that I go to theater and are actually effected. I was effected by this, like I said earlier there was complete silence in the theater and great intensity. The second act of this show is so intense. The rape scene is what really effected me. I am young and I do understand what rape is but this was dreadful to see. The look on Karen's face was heart breaking and it was all incredible terrible. It was all well done but I was very disturbed by it. Then Josefina's acting in her feelings towards violence and hate was wonderful. It was so demanding and attention grabbing.

The Show:
There are certain shows that I absolutely love and are great shows. Those shows are stuff like In The Heights, [Title of Show], and a few other newer shows. If I would like to have a great positive time at the theater I would go to those shows. They all have great messages and I love them dearly. But they aren't like West Side Story, this show is just so meaningful and powerful. It's a classic and a production everyone should experience sometime in their life.

Spanish Translations:
I really liked the translations and thought they worked well. Sometimes someone who was an outsider to this production may be confused by some of Anita's and Maria's scene (A Boy Like That-I Have A Love) It's not very straight forward.

8.8/10

I think the thing is people are judging the production before they have seen it. See there are not many people on here who have seen it.

No one had high hopes for the set, it's great. Everyone saw the crappy costumes in the first preview curtain call photos, they aren't that bad. Matt and Cody are tolerable, not to be replaced. Everyone believes what they hear. Maybe I am very lenient but this is a good production.

Well, I DID see it and it just didn't move me at all.
Yes the audience was silent at the end but most times when a gun goes off and a main character was killed, they would be quiet.
"Anita doesn't have to dance that much"???
This is one of or perhaps the most famous dance roles ever created, but when you have a singer/actress (and Olivo is fine at both) it loses some of it's sexiness and energy.

Spoiler???
The staging of the shooting at the end had me a little confused for a moment, Tony is down stage left when he sees Maria upstage center at the fence. They run toward each other and chino appears and shoots from where Marai had just run from and he seems to shoot her in the back, I thought, Wow, now that's reinventing the show.
Otherwise, this is just another production of a calssic show, nothing special, especially in the acting of the leads.

I don't understand why it is such a dancing role, just cause Chita played it doesn't mean it has to be a dancing role.

I have already explained that to you.

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Are you serious? Give me a break. This is from someone who has seen it. Everyone knows that the role of Anita is a triple threat role. There shouldn't be one person that's IN the business that doesn't know that. Now I love Karen and think that she does it all: singing, dancing, and acting but I won't say that she can dance the role like it should be. Chita Rivera and Debbie Allen both danced the hell out that role between all of their wonderful extensions, the leaps at the end, their impeccable turns and their energy/fire. America should be an explosive number that features her. If she's blending in with the other girls then I see a problem. When Chita and Debbie do it, I can't take my eyes off of them. Now I can see why Karen gets more praise because it sounds like she's one of the better things from this revival but it shouldn't dismiss anything. But I will say that she won the role over countless over women who are true triple threats, so Laurents saw something. But it seems a lot of the casting in this revival went the wrong way. But then again we are only in try-outs. Time will tell.

I remember reading on here that they were changing some of the choreography for Olivo. Was that true?

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I saw the West Side Story matinee on Dec. 26. I thought it was a knockout. Who knew West Side Story could seem exciting and new. Josefina Scaglione and Karen Olivo are gorgeous, super-talented, and they perfectly played Anita's sex and Maria's innocence. I thought Curtis Holbrook was terrific, playing Action as crazy/dangerous helped with the menace that Arthur Laurents has said he's after. The sets are gorgeous and impressive. I heard lots of wows. I liked the new dream ballet-ish version of Somewhere and the somber tragic ending that resulted from moving it. Who was the kid supposed to be? Riff? Tony? Youthful innocence in general?

The Spanish language scenes were another matter. The show was moving along, glorious, exciting, thrilling, only to be smothered with a pillow when the actors start singing and speaking words we can't understand. These scenes weren't lethal because the rest of the show was so wonderful, but they hurt. If I were seeing WSS for the first time, I'd rather suspend disbelief and hear the characters speak in English than have to decode emoting and hope I'm keeping up.

The one thing I didn't like much was Somewhere. I love the song but I hated how they had the kid do it. Has that been in every production?

Drunk, usually it is a female soprano from offstage. I believe this is the first time that it has been a young boy instead. But it is never sung by the two leads.

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I don't get. I just don't get it. There are all sorts of shows that scream out for "re-imaginings." West Side Story is not one of them. There was no need for most of these crazy changes. And it seems to me with all the amazing talent there is, they could have cast this show immaculately and done an anniversary revival that does honor to one of the greatest works of the Broadway stage.

And as for ***spoilers*** the only spoiler that would need to be mentioned would be if Tony ran off with Chino (which by the way happened in one of the productions I have directed). I mean, come on, this show is perfect. Just do a great production, not a "daring, innovative, edgy one; especially when all of your "improvements" sound pretty dumb and superficial to me.

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Updated On: 12/28/08 at 12:50 AM

Yero, only one of the original creators felt it necessary to change the show. Two of the others are dead, and the only living one likes to experiment with things whether they work out or not.

And actually, while Robbins was alive, he ONLY wanted carbon-copy recreations. That's why the same team of restagers did the show all over the world.

To me the Spanish came off as a noble idea that doesn't quite succeed. There's logic in the characters' desire to speak English even among themselves, to assimilate. This is the 50s, after all. (All the "no yoo di'int! finger-waving seemed a little modern too, but it's funny and charming.) Their speaking English with each other never seemed odd to me, but this did: In the new Tonight Quintet they had to sing the word "tonight" in English for the sake of the song: "Spanish, Spanish, Spanish, Spanish, tonight!." All right then.

As for accuracy vs. getting across the general idea, I'd choose accuracy in a Sondheim show. I hear tell he writes nifty lyrics (although we've all read that he doesn't love I Feel Pretty, which is sung in Spanish.)

My twelve year old niece was enthralled with the show but bewildered at the Spanish sections. Her rapt involvement in the show, in the excitement of wondering what will happen next, died each time the language changed. Still, we both thought the show was great. Better than great. It will be a big hit in New York.

She just signed and ran out. Karen was really nice! She remembered me from In The Heights stagedoor.