New York City Theater

"West Side Story"
Palace Theater

What have we here? A sentimental “West Side Story”? Well, it works, more rather than less.

Originally directed and choreographed by troubled genius Jerome Robbins, the masterful musical has been re-staged by its 91-year-old librettist Arthur Laurents. Robbins’ ground-breaking dances have been faithfully and excitingly re-staged by Joey McKneely; Leonard Bernstein’s romantic jazz music still races the blood as played by a 29-piece orchestra; and Stephen Sondheim’s jagged, euphemistic lyrics still bite. So far so good.

Conceived as an updated version of the familial rivalry in “Romeo and Juliet” transplanted to one between N.Y.C. street gangs, “Story” revolutionized musical theater. It may seem a bit dated these politically correct days, but the tale remains hard-core – after all, there are several deaths.

Since the “American” gang was given more dimension and personality than the Puerto Rican (with a few exceptions), Laurents makes up for the disparity by having some dialogue and songs in Spanish. It’s an acceptable idea, though it doesn’t add all that much to the evening.

Laurents emphasizes the love story between the young Tony and Maria that is the catalyst for the violence that comes out of  turf wars. Matt Cavenaugh’s Tony and Josefina Scaglione’s Maria are sweet-voiced and gentle figures here, caught up in factious circumstances beyond their control.

Still, contrasts between innocence and experience, love and war, might work better if the gangs were more down and dirty. Only Karen Olivo as fiery Anita, Curtis Holbrook as restless Action and George Akram as haughty Bernardo seem able to wield anything more deadly than a cake knife.

Laurents’ result is a “Story” dominated by feeling and delivering only the occasional jolt. Romantic, moving, it reflects a prime Sondheim lyric: “All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word.” Despite such miscalculations as “Gee, Officer Krupke” (vulgar without being tough or funny), who can resist the brilliant “Tonight” quintet, the aching “One Hand, One Heart,” the sardonic “America,” the tingling “Dance at the Gym”?

“West Side Story” is the American musical at its zenith and the new production doesn’t diminish its astonishment.

-- David A. Rosenberg
April 5, 2009