Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Youthful energy rules “pop-up” revival of WEST SIDE STORY

• By drediman
• March 8, 2016
• No Comments

Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to snag a ticket to the immersive “pop-up” revival of West Side Story, courtesy of Carnegie Hall and the Weill Music Institute, at the Knockdown Center, a converted factory in Queens. With an orchestra of 40, a cast of 50 (15 of whom were recruited from local high schools), and a 200-strong chorus (all from local schools), this large but brief weekend-long run was the culmination of the your oriented Somewhere Project, a city-wide program that asks the question, “What does ‘Somewhere’ mean to you and how can you help make that vision a reality?”

The energy in the Knockdown Center was palpable as soon as I stepped foot inside the cavernous yet warm space, and the ensuing performance, for the most part, lived up to this atmosphere. Director Amanda Dehnert has put together a stripped-down, fast-paced production that moves with the focus and force of a Greek tragedy. Her decision to use colorblind casting was a bit jarring initially – particularly for a piece that’s narratively dependent on racial divide – but I quickly forgot about skin color as I was once again swept by the machinations of Arthur Laurents’ Romeo and Juliet-inspired plot (kudos also to Tracy Christensen’s color-coded modern-dress costumes, which made my job easier). Jerome Robbins’ iconic original dances were lovingly recreated by Julio Monge to accommodate the runway staging, and additional choreography was provided by Sean Cheesman (paying tribute to contemporary pop movement).

The cast was mostly excellent. If these young triple-threats were rough-around-the-edges, they possessed something that the polished ensemble of the last Broadway revival of West Side Story was sorely lacking – these kids danced and performed their scenes as if their lives depended on it, which is imperative for angst-driven works like West Side Story, and more recently, Rent, to ring true. Particularly noteworthy were Skylar Astin’s virile, strong-voiced Tony, and veteran Bianca Marroquín’s spunky spark plug of an Anita. Less successful were Donald Jones, Jr.’s awkwardly acted and accented Bernardo and Morgan Hernandez’s convincingly naïve but bland Maria. The orchestra sounded gloriously urgent under the baton of Marin Alsop (who is also the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra).

RECOMMENDED

WEST SIDE STORY
Off Broadway, Musical
Carnegie Hall in conjunction with the Weill Music Institute at the Knockdown Center
2 hours, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed