West Side Story – A Tale for the Ages
A Review By John Benton
Staff Writer
It’s been over 50 years since its debut and Sacramento is abuzz with anticipation.
Award winning West Side Story plays this week at the California Musical Theater. This timeless love story has captivated audiences in every major city, and we here in the Sacramento area can’t wait to see it. If you’ve only seen the movie, you are in for a treat. We are all familiar with William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. West Side Story, written by Arthur Laurents, follows the tragic plot of the two feuding families being forced to see the destruction of their differences when their children unwittingly fall in love with each other. Photo by Carol Rosegg, The First National Tour of West Side Story.
Set in New York City in the 1950’s, a gang of American hoodlums and their working class families have a powerful rivalry with Puerto Rican families. Set against each other in a war for turf, the Americans (Jets) are intolerant of the presence of the Puerto Rican Sharks. The rivalry comes to a respected member of the Jets, Tony, meets and falls head-over-heels in love the Maria, the baby sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Two lovers attempt to transcend the violence of their families, hoping to escape the hatred so that they can forge a life together. The racial differences prove to be more powerful than the lovers’ wish to be together, and tragedy ensues. The score by Bernstein and Sondheim is filled with familiar songs. We have all heard "I Feel Pretty" and the famous duet between Tony and Maria, "Tonight." The new Broadway cast album of these famous songs won 2010’s Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. It saw some changes to the original.
In this revision the writer Arthur Laurents has "infused [a] contemporary sensibility" to the action and characters. They are a bit tougher and more "real" than the originals. Another change that brought a more modern feel to the story was the fact that quite a bit of the Puerto Rican dialogue is spoken in Spanish. There were always a few key lines in Spanish, but now the Sharks speak, and sing a lot more in their native language. The racy scenes were also a bit more R-rated. The changes were exciting to see and hear, but they did little to change the overall story. From the opening, Riff (Drew Foster) brought the meanness of the street to the theater. He shows the Jets’ loyalty to former leader Tony in "Jet Song." Tony (Ross Lekites) looks to the thrill of the unknown future in "Something’s Coming." When Tony joins the boys at the community dance his world changes completely as he meets Maria (Evy Ortiz) and throws all concerns about turf wars out the window. The two young lovers see a possible future together if they can thwart the plan of the Sharks and Jets and stop the rumble before any-one gets hurt. Photo by Carol Rosegg, from left: Gizel Jimenez, Kathryn Lin Terza, Evy Ortiz and Lori Ann Ferreri.
Maria’s innocence and Tony’s drive to make her happy blind them to the reality of the fight. As Tony tries to keep Riff from fighting, Bernardo (German Santiago) escalates the rumble to knives instead of just fists. With-in moments, the scene dissolves and leaves Chino (Jay Garcia) to go to young Maria with some horrific news. This cast brought a powerful energy to the stage. Tony and Maria’s "One Hand, One Heart" and Maria and Anita’s "A Boy Like That/I have a Love" were filled with emotion. In one of the most powerful numbers, "Tonight" (Quintet), the Jets, Sharks, Maria, Tony, and Anita (Michelle Aravena) foreshadow the upcoming rumble from each of their unique perspectives. Aravena’s part highlights her passion for what she looks forward to doing with Bernardo after the rumble. Photo by Carol Rosegg, Evy Ortiz and Ross Lekites in the First National Tour of West Side Story.
The California Musical Theater’s shows are always some of the best entertainment of the year. Arthur Laurent’s re-tooling of West Side Story showed us the story of two worlds being brought together through an unexpected romance. The dances were amazing and music thrilling. You Do NOT want to miss this show. Evening shows run Tuesday, January 24th through Saturday the 28th at 8:00PM. Matinees run Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00PM. For more info, visit www.westsidestory.com online. Photo by Carol Rosegg, The First National Tour of West Side Story.
For more info about the California Musical Theater or for tickets, www.californiamusicaltheater.com, or call the box office at (916) 557-1999 or (916) 808-5181. The Community Center Theater, 1301 L Street, Sacramento, is now the region’s largest live performing arts event with over 200,000 tickets sold annually, Broadway Sacramento draws theatre lovers from the Oregon border to western Nevada and the Central Valley.
For more information on any upcoming Sacramento Community Center Theater shows, or for basic information, call (916)446-5880 or visit their website at www.californiamusicaltheater.com
Community Center Theater Box Office for single-show tickets:
1301 L Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 808-5181
Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office for single-show and season tickets:
1419 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 557-1999, (916) 557-1198 | group of 12 or more. FAX (916) 557-2775
Single show tickets for Broadway Sacramento presentations are available online through services provided by going online to: www.Tickets.com
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