The Dancers (photo: Jerry Dalia)
When it
happens that another terrific production of West
Side Story comes along, there is always a case to be made that it, as does the
current Broadway revival of Fiddler on
the Roof, reaffirms its status as a landmark American musical. Although
this close to perfect production at the Paper Mill Playhouse doesn’t include
the Spanish lyrics that were impressively integrated into the 2009 Broadway
production, the book by Arthur Laurents and the score by Leonard Bernstein and
lyricist Stephen Sondheim, nevertheless, stand firmly without enhancement or
any reinvention. This is apparent under Mark Hoebee’s stirring direction and the
invigorating choreography that Alex Sanches faithfully reproduced as originally
conceived by Jerome Robbins.
Notwithstanding
the two Broadway revivals, the dance-saturated conflicts between the Jets and
Sharks will undoubtedly continue to thrill fans as well as to engage newcomers to
this musical that first appeared on Broadway in 1957. For those yet to experience
this musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo
and Juliet, the basic vision of the collaborators stands firm
and affirming especially in the face of the current political climate
and social or demographic changes. That universal vision and driving force: How
the power of romantic love is able to defy family and the world (as it mirrors Romeo and Juliet.)
Amazingly, the passing of time has not diminished the impact
of West Side Story’s relatively dated
view of New York’s
juvenile gang culture. While I was impressed in 2009 by the inclusion of carefully
selected spoken and sung Spanish written by Lin Manuel Miranda for the last Broadway
revival, the musical’s pronounced ethnicity
does not go wanting when Maria (Belinda Allyn) sings the lilting waltz “I Feel
Pretty” with the support of Anita (Natalie Cortez) and their girl friends, as
it still continues to resonate with its vibrant sense of Latino sisterhood. Just
as Allyn is absolutely lovely and sings angelically as Maria, there is also the
contrasting evidence in Corez’s fiery and feisty performance of Anita’s rage
and passion for her cultural identity, especially in her ardent aria “A Boy
Like That” and the most exhilaratingly danced “America.”
Still up front and vital is the staging that defines the Sharks
in a community that treats them as intruders and second-class citizens. While Hoebee’s
direction correctly focuses on the tragic underpinnings that gird the plot, they
are compensated with the many tender and romantically soaring moments that also
punctuate this musical. Choreographer Sanchez and, of course, Hoebee, who made his
Broadway debut dancing in Jerome Robbins’Broadway,
have certainly fired up the large and terrifically lean, mean and
good-looking company into a formidable confederation of Jets and Sharks.
The violent rumbles are filled, as expected, with violence just
as the pulse-quickening challenge dance at the gym is recreated with admirable
fidelity. Tony and Maria’s lyrical
escape dream ballet and all the other integrated dances embrace the show with both
moments of grace and bolts of danger. The success of this production is that it
remains an effective homage and in synch with the heartbeat of the original.
This production’s Tony Matt Doyle has the required
good-looks and excellent voice and acting agility and he effectively fulfills
the needs of the octave-spanning “Maria.” Not so easy to pull off, but Doyle
and Allyn beautifully generate the kind of chemistry that helps us believe in
their enveloping passion for each other..
German Alexander, as the vengeful Bernardo, and Mickey
Winslow, as the antagonistic Riff are designated to steal some but not all of
the thunder from their accompanying gang members as they give “Cool” and unchallengeable
accountings of who they are at this moment in time. <br><br>
Also excellent are Jay Russell as the besieged drug store
proprietor, William Ragsdale, as the flummoxed high school principal, Kevin C.
Loomis and Craig Waletzko, as the biased and racist law enforcers. Also
standout is the blonde pony-tailed Maria Briggs as the brash and boyish
Anybodys. Additional pleasure is derived from the lush sound of the 20
musicians, under the direction Steve Orich. James Youmans has recreated his own
breathtaking, grey tinged settings he created for the last Broadway revival.
They may not serve as an invitation to visit the upper West Side, but the
various locations from the street to under the highway provide a formidable frame
for this forever stunning musical. <br>
This production also closed the memorable season in which
the Paper Mill Playhouse has been awarded this year’s Tony for Best Regional Theatre.
Anyone seeing this glorious production will understand why.
West Side Story (through
June 26, 2016
Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Dr. Millburn, NJ
For tickets (from $32.00) call 973 - 376 - 4343
