Review
(The Beacon)
By Laura Frazier, Living Editor -- frazier13@up.edu
With a splash of color and Puerto Rican flair, the cast of West Side Story brought a simply mesmerizing vibrancy and sincerity to the Keller Auditorium stage on Jan. 3. The cast took on the daunting task of portraying one very beloved story: Young and immersed in love at first sight, Maria and Tony are destined for each other, yet have the treacherous barriers of gang and racial differences between them. This, of course, ends in tragedy.
Yet this production is now one of my favorites. The emotion between characters was believable and palpable, as Tony and Maria evoked the power of their first meeting and then the paralyzing heartbreak as their families and friends tore them apart. The tenor of their voices (especially during the duets) was beautiful, as was the acting that made the scenes believable.
This production also had a bit of spunk that I sincerely appreciated. The choreography was so inventive and entertaining; watching the Jets and Sharks leap across the stage and Puerto Rican woman twirl in their bright and swirling skirts was wonderful. I had no idea that the cocky, manly and moderately aggressive gang punks could be so sexy.
Also great was the authenticity of this production. With several of the words or phrases spoken only in Spanish, this grasp at reality was all the more entertaining. It was a great balance of Spanish bits: I was never lost, though I don't speak the Sharks' native language.
As Maria dropped to cry over the body of her lover in the final scene, the crowd was silent. The curtain dropped, and the moment seemed frozen. Then the auditorium filled with applause as we all showed our admiration of a beautiful production.
