I happened to be watching the movie version of West Side Story a few weeks ago, marveling yet again at the music (everyone has their own favorite moments - mine are "America" and "Tonight") and the timeless nature of its Romeo And Juliet story. That timeless aspect makes WSS a good candidate for a Broadway revival, at a time when the city's economy could use the jolt that Broadway has historically provided. Problem is, the dancing in the film is looking a bit dated - all very stylized and removed from real gang violence.
So if you're going to mount a revival of this tale of two street gangs, one of them Hispanic, you might want to think about the audience. The modern audience in NY is used to violence on stage and on screen, and a good portion of the population is Spanish-speaking. So having the Hispanic characters speaking in Spanish, at least to each other, makes perfect sense. Trying to dance your way through gang violence, well, that's another matter. I don't know how you do that without looking like the cast of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video. Of course, one of the reasons people go to Broadway is for escapism - and too much reality would probably scare away the desperately-needed tourist audience. But some kind of updated choreography seemed essential, and the early returns from the WSS previews suggest that it's working so far.
And then there's Broadway's other form of escapism. At a time when the economy is a ragged mess and the arts are under great stress, Broadway is doing fairly well. And a popular revival of a classic musical offers the possibility of at least one part of the local economy moving in the right direction.
Tell us: What do you think of the decision to update WSS? Is it a better show if it seems more authentic?
Leave a comment.
John Schaefer has hosted Soundcheck since the show’s inception in 2002. He has also hosted and produced WNYC’s radio series New Sounds since 1982 (“The No. 1 radio show for the Global Village” – Billboard) and the New Sounds Live concert series since 1986.
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