Too beautiful, too touching for words. And that they are teenagers makes the entire story more believable. Is Stratford a high school for artistic teens? They certainly have professional talent. The little boy choked everyone up.
My highschool just did West Side last week, I was A-Rab. We based our dance off this one, had a lot of similar moves and made it our own. We also built a similar set, but ours wasn't as fancy. Good times
Do you guys realize that the producers of the original Broadway production wanted to cut this scene--they didn't think they could find people to be excellent in all three talents (singing acting and dancing). But, here we see a bunch of teenagers who excelled squared in all three. I looked this up because I was looking for a professional production from the Stratford Festival. I found a professional quality by a bunch of kids.
Leonard Bernstein would have been very very proud of the dancers,singers,musicians,director choreographer, the people behind the scene .....They all did an excellent job considering that they all are pure amateurs.. WELL DONE LADIES AND GENTLEMAN Greetings from a "West Side Story " -Fan from Germany
Stunning and beautiful. I've watched all the clips from this production and I'm beyond admiration for the talent of the students and the creative staff. I've been a professional actor for over 50 years and this is as good a production as many fully professional companies. Bravo, bravo.
The Scherzo is one of my favorite pieces of all time. And so lovely to see this interpretation of the original Robbins choreography. I love this so much.
Also, where the heck do you find a whole chorus of high school boys at one school who can do a balancé and jeté with straight legs?? This is fantastic.
While I prefer the film version of Tony and Maria singing it to each other, I think it’s beautiful seeing this idealized version of the gym scene where the two sides join together and support Tony and Maria’s union with their future child instead of resorting to tribalism in the tragic reality.
This is better than the film version....besides, you could kind of tell that Wood didn't like Beymer in real life...plus those two didn't even sing their parts which killed it...
This is beautiful. The whole of "Somewhere" is not complete without the dance intro. In the original Bway production, Robbins didn't want any singing, just dancing. Bernstein insisted on singing. They compromised on having an off-stage voice sing while Tony & Maria danced. Bernstein handed the music to Sondheim to craft the lyrics and the rest is history. So have the young boy sing nicely fits the original idea for the production.
Ok, I'm going to possibly get crucified for this (both for this comments, length and also for its WTF?), but as I've just come from seeing the new Spielberg WSS, and am literally floating on cloud 9 (and as I've done several professional (Union) regional, national and international productions of the show with the original direction, choreography, lighting, costumes (recreations), set (several different variations), etc., my brain is racing. I just want to say first off BRAVO to a high school theatre department who can (as someone previously mentioned) been able to find MEN who can, at that age, dance this near recreation of the Scherzo (to me, the best musical theatre dance section of any musical production - for me it truly summons up the entire story) and also do it with the intent that Jerry Robbins had in mind when he created and (along with Robert Wise - the director of the Original 1961 version - as opposed to Arthur Laurents who directed the Original Broadway cast in ) tweaked and molded and remolded it for different performers over all those years. Again, bravo to this amazing group of young theatre artists. BUT, yep, there is always a BUT...yes, the boy is adorable, but obviously he was quite nervous - which is not my issue here - for a child his age, he carried himself well - nerves are nerves, and he handled himself very well. My question is WHY? Who is he supposed to be? What is he supposed to represent? Jerry Robbins NEVER did anything without reason and purpose behind it. Every finger snap, every, "COOL! BOY! CRAZY!" (With a nod to the late, great Stephen Sondheim.) Every jete, every...well, every everything. And that is my question for the group. Again, I am NOT trying to start a fight, I'd truly just like to know what others think what it means and why this choice was made. For me, the finest moment that made me see the entire ballet section and solo in a different light, was when we had literally just performed out first preview performance after a grueling travel/rehearsal/first understudy rehearsal, etc., and that night after the show, I approached our Maria (oh, I am an Equity stage manager of 40 years, starting my career in 1983 - yeah, I know, "Ok, Boomer!" LOL!) and I asked her how she was feeling as I had noticed that her voice wasn't as crystal clear as usual, and I voiced my concern. She told me that she thought she was just tired having just gone through tech for a new space, and that she was going to go straight back to her room and steam her voice, rest, and call me first thing in the morning, as the next day was our first matinee day of the week. Sure enough, she called me very early the next morning...with every stage managers nightmare voice on the other end of your leading ladies phone line. The voice of a frog. I asked her how she felt physically to which she answered she felt fine, but that she just didn't have any breath support or upper register. I told her to sit tight and I was going to call the company manager so that she could call the theatres company doctor for a quick appointment in case it was something contagious. I then kicked into stage management overdrive and called the producer/director/music director/dance captain, etc. After a quick 10 minute conversation, it was decided that I needed to quietly call the Maria understudy (who also happened to be a featured Shark lady (Rosalia? Sorry, this was years ago, and my gray matter is fading.) So, I called her (asking for complete confidentiality, and explained the situation, and that while we didn't know anything yet, if push came to shove, could she do it. She simply said, "No problem. I've been watching and taking notes since day one." (The trooper that she was/is - she's now appeared on Broadway and in several National Tours more times than I can count.) BUT...remember I told you there is ALWAYS a BUT, she explained that she'd never had the dance rehearsal time for the Scherzo section - BUT (yeah, there goes that BUT AGAIN!), as luck would have it, SHE was the offstage voice for the "Somewhere" solo. So, my mind went into overdrive...and boom, it came to me. I called the producer and director and music director and proposed the following: "Ok, she knows the entire show and can go on...EXCEPT...she doesn't know the Scherzo Ballet...BUT, she is the offstage voice for the "Somewhere" solo. SO, what if she goes on as Maria for the performance, and the Female Shark cover goes on in the Rosalia track, only not singing the solo. (Surprisingly, this didn't cause any Union issues. The cover after hearing our approach, loved the idea, and was on board. Now with most major problems solved, including the fact that all three of the women looked and were sized VERY much alike! (Thank you Theatre Gods/Goddess for smiling down on us - and thank you for an amazing casting director!) So, we pulled the trigger and called an emergency company meeting explaining the situation. Quite honestly, I expected a bit of mutiny, but it actually ended up being one of those amazing moments of why we work in this insane business. Everyone was crazy excited, and we jumped right in and made all changes in record time, including the tech moments that had to be adjusted. So, we start the show. The energy backstage was off the chart. In my 40 years is this business, I don't think I'd every seen a company give to each other and cover for each other (we have a saying in the theatre during these situations, "Shove with love." Meaning, if you see an actor starting to stray offtrack,, "Shove with love", and get them back on track as much as you can. And you know it's all done in love and never done with malicious intent. Act One flys by flawlessly. Then, Act II. The nerves in the opening scene begin to manifest themselves into something I don't think I'll ever be able to explain. It was just...magic. Once we get to the agitato section right before we go into the ballet, we had adjusted the light cues right before the scene change and bright white light bump that starts the Scherzo section, and at this point we do a switcheroo in almost semi-darkness and the real Maria runs on and switches with the understudy Maria, who quickly leaves the stage and crosses upstage behind the backdrop/groundrow and prepares to enter down left to stand in and glowing pool of light to sing that song better than she'd ever sung it before. With the light bump, the real Maria leaps for her life into Tony's arms and dances the hell out of the ballet (pardon my language), and the entire number took on a new meaning for me. The physical similarity of the Maria and the Maria understudy took on a "Dream Laurey" feeling for me. It was if they were looking into a mirror and the song became something just between the two of them. "There's a place for US. Somewhere a place for US. Peace and quiet and open air, wait for us, Somewhere." For me, it was as if the "Real Maria" stepped out of her body and through the mirror to sing to the "Dream Maria" saying that, "Yes, this can happen. We can make this come true. Even with our differences." And yes, Tony does figure into the moment, but it is Maria's ever optimistic moment. In the final tragic moments, the connection of the Jets and the Sharks, mortal enemies, changes to something I honestly cannot sometimes explain. Yes, the darkness eventually takes over with Tony's death, but the show ends with the mortal enemies coming together over a tragedy that they know they have all caused, and all realize that there is a way to "come together and join in as one." Let The Capulets join with The Montagues. It was just two totally opposite groups finally coming together and proving that "Love really does win out in the end and the fighting, the continual tragedy and death MUST stop." And again, sorry for the length and rambling, but how, or would you even change the entrance/addition of the boy? Or would you have a completely different idea? And what would it mean? What would be the intent? What would Jerry Robbins have throught?
SO, WAS THE IDEA TO HAVE THE LITTLE BOY/SON OF TONY/MARIA USED IN ANOTHER PRODUCTION? OR WAS HE JUST USED IN THIS ONE? VERY INGENIOUS IDEA AND ONE THAT THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY VERSION SHOULD HAVE USED..VERY VERY EFFECTIVE
Boy, Collins is the luckiest boy in the world...He not only gets to kiss Maria in this play but also Rose in by by birdie..I bet he had the time of his life
THIS IS THE BEST WSS VERSION,,,THE WORST ONE IS THE VERSION WITH THOSE FAMOUS OPERA SINGERS CONDUCTED BY BERNSTEIN...KIND OF LIKE PAVORATTI SINGING 'BACK IN THE USSR' IT JUST DOESNT WORK
I was just in a production of West Side Story, and my friend played Maria. At the “killer killer” part, her scream was so blood-curdling, we had to turn her mic off at that part. But yeah the girl in this one was a little weak on that line.
