West Side Story- April 8th

I saw the show today for the first time. West Side Story is my favorite musical ever, and I think it is the best musical ever written. This was also my first time ever seeing it on stage. I went in with mixed expectations because most of the users on here have said more negative then positive. The show as a whole I felt was good. Not amazing, but good. I thought the Spanish was a good idea, but at times it seemed as if the audience was a bit confused. I understood what was going on, but I'm not sure everyone knew. The music sounds incredible with the huge orchestra.

The Jets were all really good in my opinion. The opening dancing was great. I just think the Jets could act a little tougher.

Haley Carlucci was on for Maria. I was a bit dissapointed that I couldn't see Josefina, but Haley was great. She played the innocence of Maria really well, and her voice was breathtaking.

I don't know what I think of Matt as Tony. His acting was good. However, his voice needs to be way more powerful. I was sitting in the balcony and his voice wasn't loud enough for me to believe it.

Alright, Karen Olivo is phenomenal, fantastic, and breathtaking. I was worried about her dancing, but her amazing acting and singing make up for it. And I actually think her dancing wasn't even that bad. Right when she came on stage I knew my eyes were going to go to her everytime she was on stage, and they did. During the rape scene at Doc's she almost had me in tears, and she deserves a Tony for this. My friend and I told her at the stage door that we wanted to take a picture with her before she won a Tony, and she just said "Psh..Yeah, right" She was so nice and funny as well.

Dance At The Gym and Somewhere were my favorite parts of the show. Somewhere was so beautiful, and the dancing was phenomenal.

Overall, I thought it was a good show, but the direction has some flaws. I still think that Best Revival will obviously be between this and HAIR. I think I may go see both shows again so can decide who I think should win.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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I'm sorry, I actually meant casting flaws. Just with Matt at Tony.

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Haley was great as Maria, so I wasn't too upset.

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I would of never guessed it was her debut if I didn't read her bio. She was great!

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Her poor dancing skills obviously stood out in America...but not so much in Dance At The Gym when there were a lot of other people on stage.

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This was my first time ever seeing my favorite musical-live on stage. Just give me a break I was really excited!

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So that makes your snobbish attack okay?

ClumsyDude- Where in the balcony were you sitting?

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I'm with LadyD and PJ on this one.
I don't think anyone was trying to invalidate anything.
But many many people are saying the same thing in their thoughts on this show. That somehow a performer's singing and acting make it OK to not be able to perform the dances that are expected.
How does this make sense?
A lot of people are pointing out the rape scene, well it's a very riveting moment in the play and usually affects the audience, in any production. But it in no way erases the lack of skills in other scenes.
Feel free to explain it to me.

Blah. The same boring arguments and attacks.

Its, possessive, not it's "it is".

While the choreography is indeed a huge reason for the success of the show, I wouldn't say that the choreography for ANITA is necessarily. My dancer friend (who incidentally was predisposed to hate Karen since she has a massive crush on Matt Caplan) says her dancing is more than passable for the role.

SingingCats--ask your dancer friend what she thinks of this email I got from one of my dancer friends who had done the show previously. I posted this in an earlier thread:

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Here, from a dancer friend, the changes made for Karen:

First, Anita and Bernado's variation in the dance at the gym is way simplified: Karen basically shimmies and he dips her. She gives a small kick over his head while he kneels, but this is supposed to be a huge fan kick, followed by a flick into a double partner-turn to the floor with a partnered layout at the end, featuring HER, not Bernardo. They don't do any of that.

Then in America, Anita's first variation was previously solo, but Karen is immediately joined by two girls. This particular variation was always supposed to be Anita's technical specialty, but it is severely toned down for Karen.

Not one single ounce of the ballet/theater synthesis Robbins was so adept at remains.

Some of the more charming, quirky sections that are fast enough to mask her technical shortcomings are partially intact, but only in bits and pieces.

Finally, the most iconic part of the dance--the huge jumps at the end that mirror the huge crescendo in music--are replaced by single turns and are completely anticlimactic.

The audience still goes wild though.

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??While the choreography is indeed a huge reason for the success of the show, I wouldn't say that the choreography for ANITA is necessarily??

[?SingingCats--ask your dancer friend what she thinks of this email I got from one of my dancer friends..."]

Pal Joey, I think that they just don't GET IT. I feel like we're slipping into the Dark Ages.