When it happens that another terrific production of West Side Story comes along, there is always a case to be made that it, like 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.
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.
This production also closed the memorable season in which the Paper Mill Playhouse has been awarded this year’s Tony for Best Regional Theater. Anyone seeing this glorious production will understand why.
