Susan Granger’s review of “West Side Story” (Broadway Theater)
It feels bizarre to ‘review’ a show that’s been temporarily closed because of the Corona virus, but I suspect that it may re-open when permitted.
From the time it was announced that Belgian director Ivo van Hove (“Network,” “The Little Foxes,” “A View From the Bridge”) would stage a bold revival with avant-garde choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, who heads a dance school in Brussels, it sounded intriguing.
Discarding all traces of the 1950s, including Jerome Robbins’ iconic, finger-snapping ballet moves, this new version is set in a present-day urban jungle. Retaining Leonard Bernstein’s syncopated score, Stephen Sondheim’s sardonic lyrics and Arthur Laurent’s tension-filled script, it re-tells Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” tale against the backdrop of gang conflict.
But now the Jets are no longer all white; they’re multiracial and their whirling, contemporary movements include hip-hop and martial arts. The Sharks are of Latino descent, their dances reflect Afro-Caribbean culture and there’s some Spanish patter between songs.
Many gang members carry iPhones, and one dancer in each gang captures on-stage action with a Steadicam, displaying the footage on a huge screen that covers the entire back of the stage.
Therein lies the problem. Luke Halls’ video projections – some ‘live,’ others prerecorded – completely overpower the performers onstage. That’s augmented by the complete lack of romantic chemistry between the hopeful young lovers, Maria (Shereen Pimentel) and Tony (Isaac Powell). And eliminating Maria’s “I Feel Pretty” solo dilutes the musical’s female energy.
Instead, Van Hove amps the testosterone brutality, particularly when the Jets try to gang-rape Anita (Yesenia Ayala) in the third act. Well, not really the third act, since there’s no intermission; the show runs, unbroken, for 105 minutes.
Adding to the confusion, the extended rainstorm soaks the performers, even drenching some of the pit musicians. One immediately becomes aware of how dangerously slippery the floor must be, drawing unnecessary attention to Jan Versweyveld’s set and An d’Huys costumes while minimizing the pivotal love story.
If and when it re-opens, be prepared for a gritty, totally reimagined version of “West Side Story.”