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West Side Story Back on Broadway
Love—and a classic soundtrack—are in the air this spring
Cody Green as Riff and The Jets in the revival of West Side Story (Photo: Joan Marcus)
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The original West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1957, and the revival appeared on the Broadway stage in 1980. On March 19, 2009, everyone’s favorite love story will open once again, and throngs of audience members will be introduced or re-introduced to the production that made musical history with its innovative dancing and undeniably memorable music.
The choreography, music, and characters will remain the same, but the production integrates the Spanish language throughout, updating the authenticity and reality of the West Side scene of the time. (The “Sharks” will speak and sing in Spanish, although not throughout the entire show.)
“The action of the musical and the intentions of the characters are always completely clear,” says Matt Shea of Barlow-Hartman Public Relations. “West Side Story was created in such a masterful way that the story remains absolutely clear.”
Opening at the Palace Theatre, with previews February 23rd onwards, the show had pre-Broadway showings December through January at the National Theatre in Washington DC, where the musical made its initial world debut.
According to a press release, the production is directed by Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents, and the Jerome Robbins choreography restaged by Joey McKneely, the Tony Award-nominated choreographer of The Life and The Boy from Oz. Composer Lin Manuel Miranda, Tony Award-winner of In the Heights, worked in collaboration with the creative team on the Spanish translations in both song lyrics and dialogue, according to Shea.
The large cast of actors and dancers combines Broadway stars with newcomers to reawaken the roles of Tony, Maria, Riff, Anita, and Bernardo. They include a young actress from Buenos Aires, Josefina Scaglione, as Maria; Matt Cavenaugh from A Catered Affair as Tony; Cody Green from Movin’ Out and Grease, who you also may remember from Bravo’s Step it Up and Dance, as Riff; Karen Olivo of In the Heights, who will be taking over Chita Rivera’s famous role of Anita; and Bernardo will be played by George Akram from the Farrelly brothers’ Stuck on You.
West Side Story will be a wonderful addition to the Broadway roster, bringing back a musical classic with some current alterations. However, the singing and dancing remain the same, and are sure to be as sparkling, sophisticated, and original in 2009 as they were in 1957.
West Side Story officially opens at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway) on Thursday, March 19.