The battle between the Jets and the Sharks continues! Broadway in Tucson's "West Side Story" delivers rumbling gangs, feisty Puerto-Rican immigrants and forbidden teenage love all in one.
The performance follows the rival gang love affair between Ali Ewoldt's Maria and U of A's own Kyle Harris as part of an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The bilingual phenomenon pushes the envelope with gang violence and lusty dialogue but still thrills the audience after 54 years of production, three Tony Awards and dozens of other nominations.
Set in New York in the 1950s the story begins with the vicious rivalry between the Spanish-speaking Sharks and the classic white-boy Jets. In the midst of all this hatred, Tony and Maria meet each other at a school dance and literally experience love at first sight. Their fast-paced romance stuns the audience as they begin to talk marriage in "One Hand, One Heart" after mere hours of knowing each other. The rival gangs decide to hold an inflamed rumble under the highway, but the decision does not sit well with everyone. In the bilingual performance of "Tonight," a melodious mix of Spanish and English sung harmoniously stuns the audience in a culture clash of music. When Tony attempts to break up the destructive rumble the fight turns bloody and everyone's world is turned upside down.
The performance offers live orchestral classical favorites such as "I Feel Pretty" and "Maria" but also highlights the comical genius of "Gee, Officer Krupkee" and the calm-natured "Something's Coming." Even for those who do not speak Spanish, the Puerto-Rican women immigrants clearly portray their love for the good 'ol USA in their frisky, Latin-infused performance of "America."
The original music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim are both timeless and cross-cultural. And the dancing? FIERCE. The dancers twirled and flipped to the beat, shook their hips to the Latin rhythm and experimented with both soft and powerful dancing. The original choreography was done by Jerome Robbins, but was reproduced by Joey McKneely for this production.
The set interchanged between New York City buildings and streets, Maria's bedroom and a drugstore, but was by no mean overstated. The simple set let the powerful vocals take center stage and lead the production. Both Harris and Ewoldt stole the show with their brilliantly matched, illustrious voices. The costumes were typical of 1950s street wear, including basic tees and jeans, and sexy Latin outfits for the Puerto-Rican women. The lights consistently dabbled in dark purple, blue and red colors to enhance the shadow of the dancers' bodies on stage and made their movements pop out in the audience. Together, the vocals, orchestra, set and lights brought passion to the stage in this dynamic production. Arthur Laurents' West Side Story still dazzles the audience after 54 years and will likely continue to do so for 54 more.
Performances take place at Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave, through Sun, Sept. 25. For ticket information and prices go to BroadwayInTucson.com or call 903-2929.
