Stunning revival of modern musical classic (From This Is Wiltshire)

Stunning revival of modern musical classic

10:27pm Thursday 2nd July 2009

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West Side Story Hippodrome Bristol West Side Story, which hit Broadway in 1957 and the cinemas world wide in 1961, was the birth of a new kind of musical.

It had a real story and gritty edge to it. There was no happy ever after ending, and nearly every song was a hit.

How could it not be with the creative team of Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents.

The new touring version which is at the Hippodrome until July 11, has all the zest and passion of the original.

Its contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet is just as relevant today as it ever was. There is disaffected youth, racial tension, teenage hormones causing havoc and the voices of reason, too few and too small.

It is a stunning production with moments that send shivers down your spine. Particularly riveting was a ballet sequence to Somewhere. After the rival gang leaders are killed in the rumble, Tony (the Romeo character) is on the run, and he and Maria (his Juliet) dream their impossible dream of finding a place of peace and harmony.

Daniel Koek as Tony was perfect, and with a rich voice that excited and moved the listener. Sofia Escobar was a sympathetic, child-like but not childish, Maria.

In contrast Jade Westaby was a superbly feisty Anita, girlfriend of Bernardo (Dan Burton), leader of the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks. She and her friends had toes tapping frantically as they belted out America.

There are so many significant roles and yet it is very much an ensemble work. The choreography is magnificent and imaginative It is bursting with energy and in the heat of the theatre on Wednesday night, despite air conditioning, we wondered how they maintained the pace and athleticism without melting.

There’s an atmospheric set of wood and steel and an orchestra under the leadership of Simon Beck which drove the drama along, without overwhelming the singers.

You’ll wait a long time to see a better production of this modern classic.

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