West Side Story: Like-Age Casting

[EugLoven]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 1:54am

There still isn't any clear idea of what the "big change" is going to be for the coming Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY. Clues have eluded to a relatively big and new staging/conception that doesn't altar the musical.

The following casting-call leads me to believe this revival is going to be like-age casted, perhaps a whole cast of "NEWBIES"

* * * * * *

OPEN AUDITION: For Non Union actors/dancers for the new Broadway Production of West Side Story for Tony, Maria, Jets and Sharks. Production begins rehearsals in October and does an out of town tryout in Washington DC during December, before beginning previews on Broadway in February.

All actor/dancers must look 16 to 20yrs old, but leagally be at least 16yrs of age prior to first day of rehearsal.

SEEKING
Tony: 18 to 20, baritone with Tenor notes up to a high b flat. Handsome, Polish American, with great charm.

Maria: looks 16 to 18, soprano, a beautiful, naive, but strong willed Puerto Rican girl. Fluent in Spanish a plus.

Jets and Sharks, Males and females looks 16 to 20yrs old, all must have great ballet technique and training.

Could this be the BIG THING? THOUGHTS?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 2:37am

I hope that's not the "big thing" because it really just looks like they're trying to convince younger audiences that with the young cast, this will be the "new" Spring Awakening for them to obsess over. *shudder*

[EugLoven]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 2:44am

I'd say the "new" SPRING AWAKENING is going to be SAVED.

As it's a Sondheim-connected piece, this young-cast move reminds me more of MERRILY (though likely not to have the same critical-fate).

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 3:02am

I didn't mean it in that regard. More like they want to try to sell West Side Story to the Rent/Wicked/Spring Awakening fans by convincing the young audiences that even though this was written in the 1950s, these characters are just like them! Instead of trusting the material and the fact that it's survived 50 years with three generations of fans, they'll use the young cast as a marketing tool for promotion in Teen Vogue and TRL to convince them that WSS is just as "edgy" and "cool" as Lauren vs. Heidi on The Hills.

Updated On: 4/15/08 at 03:02 AM

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 6:52am

EugLoven, Arthur Laurents has already gone on record as saying that the new "trick" he has planned for this revival is to make the show much edgier in terms of sex and violence:

``New York is tougher,' he continued. ``I have a way of doing this that is unlike any that's ever been done.

``I'm doing that without changing a word or a note,' Laurents said. The ``attitude' of the Jets and Sharks would be markedly different from past stagings as well as the 1961 film, which he doesn't like.

``They're not adorable street kids,' Laurents said. ``They're killers, each and every one of them. They're vicious and they have to be played that way.'

In his production, he says, he'll also emphasize ``the real difference between the Puerto Ricans and so-called Americans, not just what color they're wearing,' Laurents said. ``Look at all this immigration stuff now -- if that isn't about race, I don't know what is. It's a national issue.'

As for the love story of Tony and Maria, Laurents wants hot- blooded passion, not sanitized stick figures.

``When they sing 'Tonight,' it's like Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy,' Laurents said. ``It's hard for them to sing because they're so sexually involved. They're all over each other.'

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&refer=muse&sid=agydhkGINmXc

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 8:03am

Can teenagers try out?

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 9:11am

I don't think it's a new trick to audition young actors for a show like this. I know several people who have already auditioned for this and they're all current BFA or BA Theatre students, or very recent grads. It's likely that final casting would be such that they'll be mixed with others who have a bit more experience, like most shows.

[Jon]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 10:54am

Zeitoujo - you must be 16 by the first day of rehearsal.

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 10:55am

Thanks!
At the auditions is there dancing or just singing?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 10:57am

So I'm guessing they are not going for names?

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 11:00am

They are casting ensembles and Tony, right?

[Jon]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 11:53am

In casting WSS, dancing comes first for all roles except Tony and Maria (and the "adults").

[Zeitoujo]

Posted: 4/15/08 at 1:36pm

Is the open call for Tony?