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‘West Side Story’ @ the Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Theater review. “West Side Story.” Grade: B. 8 p.m. tonight-Saturday. 2 p.m. Saturday. 1:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Through Sunday. $20-$64. Theater of the Stars, Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Midtown. 404-817-8700, ticketmaster.com. Bottom line: Imagine “High School Musical” with Spanish accents, switchblades and passion. Glorious!
“West Side Story” starts with a swirl of dance and riotous color. “Something’s coming,” Tony sings. But he’s young and he’s not sure what. And then he goes to the dance at the gym, and there she is: Maria.
In Theater of the Stars’ new production of the classic, this is the moment when time stops. We all know that this gritty New York version of “Romeo and Juliet” will end tragically. But for a few whispery seconds, the bloody tale of the Jets and the Sharks takes on the sheen of dewy young love and nights that will last forever.
OK. Time for a wakeup call. Can you believe that “West Side Story” was your grandma’s answer to “High School Musical.”
But where Disney’s take on the white-guy-meets-Latin-girl story is saccharine and sweet, “West Side Story ” is sinister and sexy. It is virtually impossible to imagine Troy Bolton pulling a switchblade — or Gabriella Montez speaking in a thick Spanish accent. Please, Disney’s study-hall-crossed lovers had to wait for a sequel before they could even sneak a kiss.
But passion is the engine that drives “West Side Story” to its grim and inexorable conclusion. Fifty years after its creation, it remains the definitive look at how intolerance corrupts the American dream.
Like “High School Musical,” “West Side Story” can get a little preachy and message-driven. But it’s impossible to deny the vitality of Leonard Bernstein’s propulsive, street-smart score, Stephen Sondheim’s catchy lyrics and Jerome Robbins’ elegant ballets — all so smartly realized here by director Alan Johnson and his ensemble.
No matter how many times you have seen it, “West Side Story” still has the power to take your breath away.
Here, the magic happens anytime Tony (Nathan Scherich) and Maria (Sarah Darling) open their mouths — to sing or to kiss. Compared to swaggering Jets leader Riff (Leo Ash Evens) and sullen top Shark Bernardo (Michael Balderrama), Scherich is a dreamboat — a lost, love-struck boy whose angelic tenor compliments Darling’s lovely soprano.
Natascia Diaz’s perky Anita brings great comic zest, and Jack Aaron makes for a solid and dependable Doc.
On the design side, Leo B. Meyer’s scenery is not particularly exciting and downright shaky at times. But the outfits (credited to Kansas City Costumes Co.) are first rate — especially the hot pinks and red ruffles that typify the Sharks’ chicas. Ken Billington’s lighting, particularly for Act Two’s dream sequence, is soft and luminous.
But no matter how hallowed, “West Side Story” is not entirely perfect. For today’s audiences, its three-hour run time (including intermission) probably makes it a little soporific. The “Gee, Officer Krupke” sequence could probably be easily excised. And the first few spoken moments of Tuesday night’s opening seemed a little flat.
But when music is soaring and the skirts are flying, there’s nothing quite like it. If you happen to catch this glorious performance, you may find yourself swooning like Tony and Maria. Tonight, tonight.
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By MALINDA
August 23, 2007 3:19 PM | Link to this
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