West Side Story Broadway Review

I’ve been dreaming to see West Side Story live on Broadway a long time (like many other great Broadway musicals). So when I found out that the revival of West Side Story comes to Broadway I was really excited.

I remember time when I lived in Russia and some kind of great production of West Side Story (la Scala production perhaps) was coming to our city, I asked my mother to buy me tickets to the show several months in advance. But when we came to the theatre we found out that the show was cancelled. They didn’t explain why (but I suppose because they didn’t sell enough tickets or something). I was really upset about it, because I was just about to see really big and professional West Side Story production in my city and just in a second it all disappeared.

So I was coming to the first preview of West Side Story on Broadway with big hopes. I saw it 2 times: 1st and 5th previews. First time I sat in the balcony (partial view) and the second time I sat in the orchestra and close to stage (but partial view again).

You are probably wondering where to seat in such a big theatre. Let’s begin with the good news for everyone. If you short on money or if all “good” seats in the house are sold out you probably still will be able to enjoy the show from the partial view balcony seats for approximately $26 (a half price of the regular ticket). As you know choreography in West Side Story is beautiful and there are a lot of people in the cast. So as for me the choreography looks even more amazing from the last row of the balcony than from the orchestra.

Let me tell you my first impression. So I was fascinated of the choreography until the Tony (Matt Cavenaugh) started to sing “Something’s coming”. I didn’t like something, and this something was… the voice of Tony. And also I didn’t feel much energy of the youth full of hope that’s something good is coming. But I though like “Ok, maybe it’s just his first song and it will be better during the “Maria”. But it wasn’t. It looked (and sounded) even worse. During the performance of “Maria” voice of Tony (Matt Cavenaugh) was ok, but too dim and not sonorous. It sounded like a bad opera singer for me. Sometimes too high, sometimes too quiet that I couldn’t hear beginning and the end of some words in the song. His acting wasn’t perfect-pitching also. I know, perhaps it was the director’s wish, but during “Maria” he was just standing the first part of the song at one spot, then stepped forward a little bit and finished the song. It wasn’t believable and it didn’t look for me like a young guy in love. Not enough emotions, not enough feelings, a little bit boring. And when he yelled “Maria!” at the end of the fight scene under the highway it sounded weird and unnatural, so the couple of viewers sitting next to me even laughed a little bit. I didn’t but, it still sounded very unnatural and not believable. No, I am not telling it was totally horrible. I just think this actor is not completely suitable for this role: his voice doesn’t match this role and his acting is not perfect.

I know, a lot of people will say if I can sing (or act) better and he (Matt) did a great job. Well, I am not an actor or singer and don’t want to be one, so of course I can’t do it better. I am just telling you my personal opinion based on my experience as a big fan of musical theatre. I usually don’t pay attention on the voices and acting skills of the actors – I trust casting companies and casting directors, seriously. But, when I don’t feel much excitement after a song, then after another song I don’t feel anything again, I am starting to think what’s wrong and why it is wrong. And this time I realized that there is something wrong with the voice and the acting skills of the one of the main characters – Tony. I even watched it second time, from the seventh row of the orchestra – but result was the same. Ooops!

The other main characters were pretty good for me: Maria (Josefina Scaglione), Anita (Karen Olivo), Riff (Cody Green), Bernardo (George Akram). Although I enjoyed the songs performed by them think there is absolutely no chemistry between Maria and Tony. They don’t look like lovers together.

In the beginning I couldn’t get where Jets and where Sharks are. The second time when I saw it from the orchestra close to stage there was the same problem. I guess it’s because of the costumes, it look the same on the both gangs (on males especially). So in the beginning it’s a little bit confusing who is who. But Bernardo looked weird and funny in this lilac color costume. Is that how the leader of the “Sharks” should look like?

Now a little bit about Spanish. Some people were afraid that there would be like half of the songs in Spanish. When I was standing in the box office line there was a guy who was telling to his friend on the phone: “You know it looks like it sold out. But almost half of the show in Spanish, so you wouldn’t like it anyway”. The other people didn’t know about Spanish in the show at all and it was totally surprise for them. Well, I want to relieve those who think that there are a lot of songs in Spanish. No, only 2 songs are completely in Spanish language: “I feel pretty” (“Siento Hermosa”) and “A boy like that” (“Un Hombre Asi”). And there are several songs in which Spanish appears in some parts like for example “Tonight” reprise. Other than that Spanish can be heard just a little bit, like a word or short phrase in some songs and lines.

As for me I find it pretty realistic. I can compare it with myself. My first language is Russian. Sometimes I speak Russian with my Russian friends, but sometimes we speak English. It depends on the mood. I am young and I want to improve my English skills so I try to speak English more, older people speak Russian more (it’s more comfortable for them). So, yes, it’s realistic and interesting decision. But for those people who haven’t seen West Side Story before (well, if such people exist), or saw it only a couple of times long time ago and don’t remember lyrics, or for the people who don’t speak Spanish at all (like me) it can be not really comfortable because they (at least on the previews) don’t have supertitles in the house.

Talking about showstoppers, the best songs where audience members go wild, applause and whistle in excitement are the songs performed by a lot of cast members. I really liked “America” (Anita, Rosalia and Shark Girls) – so much energy and excitement; “Gee, Officer Krupke” (Action and the Jets) – very funny and entertaining; “Somewhere” (Kiddo, Tony, Maria and Company) – this will make anyone cry, very touching; “Siento Hermoza” (“I Feel Pretty”) (Maria, Rosalia, Consuela and Fernanda) – you don’t have to know Spanish to feel what Maria feels there; and perhaps “Tonight” (Quintet) was pretty good too.

Set and light design did not really impress me. Especially light design. In my opinion there should be some more colors in West Side Story. Through play of colors light designer and director can express the feelings of the characters, the whole situation, can make it more powerful, emotionally, touching. But this production of West Side Story was colorless. And that’s definitely a big minus. As for sets, it was big, but not really impressive; there was feeling of some kind of emptiness on stage (which, again, could be illuminated by proper light design).

What can I recommend. In spite of all the minuses it is still West Side Story. And it’s still must see show for all fans of musical theatre. It just could have been done better. I would recommend to see it from mezzanine or even from balcony, perhaps like me for half price (partial view seats). The choreography scenes are amazing from mezzanine and balcony, and you really don’t have to see all the face expressions of the actors. But I wouldn’t pay full price for center orchestra seats for this production.

My West Side Story Review on YouTube: