West Side Story revival?

[dphibbs94]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 2:38am

Has anyone heard anything about the revival of West Side Story that Scott Rudin was supposedly producing for later this year? I know there was a developmental lab, but I haven't heard anything else lately. 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 8:19am

We haven't heard much either. I believe plan was for previews to begin December 2019, with an opening in February of 2020. I think this was aiming for the Winter Garden as well, but I could be wrong about all of that. Excited for this however! 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 8:41am

I don't know why I thought I remembered hearing it was planning on going into the Nederlander. It may very well end up somewhere else though. But yes, as far as I know, it's still planning on this winter. I'm guessing we'll get more info sometime after the Tonys.

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 8:53am

They are probably seeing how Beetlejuice is going to react with audiences after it opens at the Winter Garden before deciding anything. I'm sure Beetlejuice will most likely get panned by critics, but many people who have been to previews love the spectacle so it has the smallest chance of running for awhile.

Updated On: 4/10/19 at 08:53 AM

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 9:00am

Broadway61004 said: "I don't know why I thought I remembered hearing it was planning on going into the Nederlander. It may very well end up somewhere else though. But yes, as far as I know, it's still planning on this winter. I'm guessing we'll get more info sometime after the Tonys."

It’s produced by Scott Rudin, who works exclusively with the Shuberts so it wouldn’t be going to the Nederlander...

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 9:18am

ElphabaGoodman said: "Broadway61004 said: "I don't know why I thought I remembered hearing it was planning on going into the Nederlander. It may very well end up somewhere else though. But yes, as far as I know, it's still planning on this winter. I'm guessing we'll get more info sometime after the Tonys."

It’s produced by Scott Rudin, who works exclusively with the Shuberts so it wouldn’t be going to the Nederlander..."

Very true. I also cant remotely imagine that show fitting in the Nederlander (but then again, with Ivo Van Hove directing, who knows). So I'm likely just imagining reading things about it....

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 4/10/19 at 10:27am

ElphabaGoodman said: "It’s produced by Scott Rudin, who works exclusively with the Shuberts so it wouldn’t be going to the Nederlander..."

Rudin does not "exclusively" work with the Shuberts. As a lead producer, his production of The Crucible played the Walter Kerr, a Jujamcyn house. His production of The Humans originally played at Second Stage's Helen Hayes before they closed it for renovations. And he's a lead producer on The Book of Mormon, which has been running in a Jujamcyn house for eight years.

Sure, he works primarily with the Shuberts. But to say he works exclusively with them is just wrong.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 3:08pm

https://westsidestorybway.com

Website is up with dates.

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 3:14pm

GeorgeandDot said: "https://westsidestorybway.com

Website is up with dates."

Looks artsy. I like it

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 3:17pm

Cool website, I honestly did not think this was going to happen.  I like that the clothing looks contemporary (like the recent WSS in Chicago). I look forward to seeing even a glimpse of the brand new choreography.  

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 6/27/19 at 3:43pm

Something about this feels very 2019 Oklahoma-y.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 5:34pm

GeorgeandDot said: "https://westsidestorybway.com
Website is up with dates."

There's also an Instagram ad with some modern dance and a mostly-piano version of the opening. (Can't link it.)

The photos and video do make me wonder if some of the ethnicities have been changed for this production.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 5:52pm

YvanEhtNioj said: "Something about this feels very 2019 Oklahoma-y."

 

Except that Daniel Fish's production of Oklahoma seems to be inspired by the kind of "regie-theatre" that's very popular throughout Europe. And Ivo Van Hove has been a prominent figure in that sphere for decades. 

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 5:52pm

Facebook has an ad library, so for anyone is curious about what Ermengarde is saying, here 

https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=all&country=US&q=West%20Side%20Story%20%20Broadway&view_all_page_id=2115386262107604

This revival is either going to be amazing or horrible, which either one is going to be a sight to see 

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 5:56pm

I hope this isn't going to be like Carousel, where we got strange, interesting artwork that suggested it might be a sort of dark reinterpretation and then ended up, ultimately, getting a glorified summer stock production with Broadway A-listers.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 6:05pm

GeorgeandDot said: "I hope this isn't going to be like Carousel, where we got strange, interesting artwork that suggested it might be a sort of dark reinterpretation and then ended up, ultimately, getting a glorified summer stock production with Broadway A-listers."

I think this will be ANYTHING but a summer stock production --- like DoTheDood says, it'll at least be interesting, whether it's awful or great.

It might also be a cast of mostly nobodies. Anyone know who the leads were in the workshops?

[Owen Parker]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 6:08pm

Since the dates look so soon, I’m assuming Pretty Women will close and since it says possible a Nederlander theatre it will open there!

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 7:42pm

As the ads indicate - It will be in modern dress. Ivo van Hove doesn’t do period.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 8:09pm

Owen Parker said: "Since the dates look so soon, I’m assuming Pretty Women will close and since it says possible a Nederlander theatre it will open there!"

Recent buzz has been that it will play the Broadway, now that King Kong has posted notice. But weeks ago, there had also been speculation it was taking the Barrymore and then The Inheritance was announced.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 9:13pm

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 9:25pm

JBroadway said: "Except that Daniel Fish's production of Oklahoma seems to beinspired by the kind of"regie-theatre" that's very popular throughout Europe. And Ivo Van Hove has been a prominent figure in that sphere for decades."

It's also worth noting that for anyone who's worked with or seen anything by Daniel Fish in the past 20 years is not at all surprised by anything he's done to Oklahoma. He's been doing these kinds of things to Shakespeare for much of his career.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 9:27pm

Heard the Nederlander Theatre

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 9:39pm

Robbie2 said: "Heard the Nederlander Theatre"

That would be MUCH better than the Broadway Barn...

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 10:14pm

Two months’ previews? I wonder how much of a work in progress it’ll be when the previews starts.

[BJR]

Posted: 7/2/19 at 10:45pm

If you think of it, doing two months of previews makes sense for a revival that's definitely going to be taking risks.

It allows for tons of time to work with an audience and since Bway doesn't charge less for previews, what's the downside? Perhaps if you need the reviews, but it may be Rudin's thinking that more time to work toward good reviews is better than counting on good reviews.