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| Here Come the Jets! Photo by Gerry Goodstein |
The music fades, the lights dim, and from across the gym
turned into a dance hall Tony and Maria see each other for the first time, and
it’s love at first sight. The scene, as staged in the Connecticut Repertory
Theatre’s production of “West Side Story,” is poignant but, alas, just a touch
unbelievable, for we are asked to accept that there is instant chemistry
between these two and, unfortunately, it’s just not there. The fault is in the
casting, and since the couple’s rapturous engagement is the impetus for the
musical’s development, it’s a detriment to an otherwise enjoyable production.
When it first appeared in 1957, “West Side Story” was an
iffy proposition for its writer, Arthur Laurents, composer Elmer Bernstein and
lyricist Stephen Sondheim, given that it is based on a Shakespearean tragedy
and that much of the story is told via dance, originally choreographed by
Jerome Robbins. There’s also the ending, which left early audiences speechless
– no big finale, just a body being carried off the stage and a forlorn young
woman dealing with her loss. Of course, it eventually triumphed and went on to
join the list of great American musicals.
CRT’s production, directed and choreographed by Cassie
Abate, is sufficiently dark and gritty, staged against a background of metal
bars, fences and drab colors (compliments of scenic designer Tim Brown) that
capture the metropolitan jungle, the turf that the rival gangs, the Jets and
the Sharks (read Montagues and Capulets), fight over and seek to control. This
internecine conflict, fueled by racism and poverty, is set against the dreams
and desires of the two young lovers, Maria (Julia Estrada) and Tony (Luke
Hamilton). Love is a powerful emotion, but in the world of “West Side Story” it
cannot defeat anger, fear and hatred.
Estrada is a winsome, stars-in-her-eyes Maria. Initially
girlishly giddy, she transforms into a mourning woman who forces the opposing
gangs to come together. Blessed with a beautiful voice, she shines in “Tonight,
“One Hand, One Heart” and her duet with Anita (Cassidy Stoner), “A Boy Like
That/I Have a Love.” Hamilton
Bentley Black, playing Riff, the current Jets leader, fares
much better. He exudes authority, and in “Cool,” you accept that he has the
ability to quell the emotions of the gang members eager to rumble. On the
opposite side, Yurel Echezarreta, as Bernado, leader of the Sharks, is a dark
force, a character that contains both anger and frustration behind a machismo
façade. As for his girl friend, Anita, although Stoner may sometimes push the
sauciness a bit too far, she nails the lead in “America ”
with her tart taunting of Rosalia (Tori Gresham), who wishes to return to Puerto Rico .
There are some stand-out moments in this production, chief
among them the penultimate number in the first act, the rousing, operatic
reprise of “Tonight,” and “Gee, Officer Krupke,” the Jets humorous send-up of
the societal forces they must contend with: the police, the judicial system and
representatives of the various social services who see them as nothing more
than “cases” to be labeled and dealt with appropriately. There’s also the
wonderfully staged “Dance at the Gym” sequence, in which Abate’s chorography is
the strongest. Less so is the dream-like “Somewhere” in the second act – for
all of its movement, it seems somewhat static and contrived. As a comparison,
see what choreographer Doug Shankman did with the same number in Summer Theatre
of New Canaan’s production of “West Side Story” (running though July 31).
CRT’s production is definitely enjoyable, but its parts
don’t seem to add up to a consistent whole, as if Abate was unable to settle on
a complete vision of what the production should be. At times very professional,
it all too often seems to slip into staging and tentativeness one might
associate with a high school show.
“West Side Story” runs through July 17. For tickets or more
information call 860-486-2113 or go to www.crt.uconn.edu.
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