West Side Story on "Good Morning America" 3/27

[SingingCats]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 10:45am

Did anyone see it? I thought "Cool" looked awesome!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 10:48am

Unremarkable.

[yankees1253]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:02am

http://abcnews.go.com/gma
both performances are curretnly under recent on gma, they have the advertisements on before both performances.

[JenNYferTheatrical]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:05am

I was just coming here to post those!
Those are my favorite numbers in the show, I'm not sure if I would have chosen them to sell it, though, especially not to an audience that expects the movie.

[jennyish]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:06am

This shows looks more and more disappointing with every clip I see.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:22am

It's a testament to Leonard Berstein's music and Jerome Robbins' choreography that "Cool" can still be somewhat exciting even when performed with no pizazz (the girls are very good, but there's only three of them). And I know that it's the morning, but "America" is worse than it was on Letterman. I don't care how well Karen Olivo acts in Act 2, I want those jumps back in NOW.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:38am

The three girls in "Cool" are very sexy, but those skirts are way too short!

And Riff in a red vest looks like he parks cars for a living.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:39am

I really miss the leaps/jumps in AMERICA too.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:55am

Breaks my heart. What a missed opportunity for greatness.

[Eponine3]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:56am

Not dig on the show .. but a dig on the floor director for GMA.. why oh why when you have a song like America where the dancing is "the thing" about the number.. are you going to go to a shot of the two girls sitting on the stairs doing nothing instead of using a wide shot to show the dancing.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:58am

Maybe because they're more interesting than the girls who are dancing.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 11:59am

Was it just me or did Karen's voice sound like it was straining a little already? Hope it was just me.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 12:02pm

And what the hell were the camera men doing? I haven't watched COOL yet but most of AMERICA wasn't even focused on the women dancing.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 12:04pm

I have no idea. It didn't do the numbers any favors.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 12:13pm

I enjoyed it. It made me smile this morning.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 12:25pm

I love Graziella. Can't wait to see what she does next.

[hmpeterson]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 12:38pm

Ok so "Cool" wasn't that bad (except for the singing.)

But "America" ugh! No energy and no life and basic dancing. And I think that is Rosalia who sings the other part, I hate to say it but her voice is just grating.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 12:52pm

The America number is good but not GREAT! Just saw Debbie Allen's youtube video and she was electrifying! Chita must have been FFFFFFFFAAAAANTASTIC!!!!

PJ is right. What a missed opportunity for us (new generation of theater enthusiasts) to be denied to see the FULL brilliance of Jerome Robbin's Choreography in America! oh well...

It's good, but NOT THE BEST!!

J*
Updated On: 3/27/09 at 12:52 PM

[SharpCookies]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 1:01pm

Being a lurker on this website, I have been hearing all this critism about the new production of 'West Side Story' and never really got it. I watch these clips, and I get a pretty good idea. "Cool"'s choreography I hink was good, but something was missing from that number to make it exciting. It wasn't bad, just... lacking. And I can see how the dancing in "America" was really toned down for Karen. It actually looks like stuff I could do, and I have never taken a dance class in my life. xD *sighs* Maybe it's better live, but from the way things are looking I wouldn't make a eleven hour drive to New York to see it. (Well maybe I would just so I could see a broadway production at all, but you get what I mean.)

[SharpCookies]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 1:02pm

Being a lurker on this website, I have been hearing all this critism about the new production of 'West Side Story' and never really got it. I watch these clips, and I get a pretty good idea. "Cool"'s choreography I hink was good, but something was missing from that number to make it exciting. It wasn't bad, just... lacking. And I can see how the dancing in "America" was really toned down for Karen. It actually looks like stuff I could do, and I have never taken a dance class in my life. xD *sighs* Maybe it's better live, but from the way things are looking I wouldn't make a eleven hour drive to New York to see it. (Well maybe I would just so I could see a broadway production at all, but you get what I mean.)

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 1:49pm

This shows looks more and more disappointing with every clip I see.

Then don't see it.

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 2:25pm

UNREMARKABLE. Great liberties were taken with Gennaro's original choreography for the AMERICA number. Where is the infamous arm swaying to punctuate the word hurricane? What is that bit of nonsense Karen is doing as she sings the word diseases? The "can can" move in the number looks pedestrian, talk about dumbing it down, they stand there still, left leg in mid air moving it side to side with one arm behind their heads and the other on their hip?!!! They are supposed to LIFT. THOSE. SKIRTS. GOTTDAMMIT!!!

There is no flow to any of the moves, no energy, no spark.

The more clips I see of this bastardization the more I'm convinced I won't be going to see it on Broadway.


Updated On: 3/27/09 at 02:25 PM

[Trish2]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 2:30pm

I think the director and/or camerman were smart. They watched the number in rehearsal and knew then and there they couldnt feature Anita as she had no spark. It's that simple.

The COOL number fared better visually, but still no spark. Yes, that Graziella is a scene stealer !!!!

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 2:33pm

I'm convinced I won't be going to see it on Broadway.


- Lol. They're selling out. They don't need your business. I love how people are trying to make a "point" by not seeing it. They don't need you.

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/27/09 at 2:34pm

Props to Pamela Otterson as "Graziella". Great work.