The Revival Of The Broadway West Side Story

By Author: Al Terry
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Whether you've seen the book or read the original ‘Romeo and Juliet' from which it is adapted, the Broadway West Side Story is an experience that will leave you entranced. And a recent revival of the musical which was a sell-out success in 1957, adds the finishing touches to what already is a masterpiece. Unlike the original and the film released in 1961 where all the roles were played by Americans with feigned accents and dyed hair, this version stays as contemporary as possible. The Puerto Ricans sing in fluent Spanish and the lead female role is played by a young Argentinean actress making her debut, thus keeping the edgy, frictitious nature of the musical alive.

Going back to the original Broadway West Side Story, the stage is set on the streets of Manhattan in the 1950's. The all-white American gang called the Jets decides to take on the rival Puerto Rican gang the Sharks, in a battle for control of the streets. Unfortunately in the midst of all this, Maria, the sister of the leader of the Sharks and Tony a former member of the Jets fall in love. Oblivious to the opposition of the two rival gangs and all attempts ...
... to drill some sense of loyalty to their own, the two develop a strong bond. While the gangs still intend to wage an all out battle, Maria begs Tony to stop them. Unfortunately in the ensuing melee, tempers are lost, knifes blades are loosened and Tony ends up killing Maria's brother.

Despite her sorrow, Maria does forgive Tony and they decide to leave Manhattan to escape the danger. But just as they are preparing for this, Tony is falsely informed that Maria has been killed by her brother's angry comrades. In his despair he runs to the heart of the Puerto Rican sector demanding that they kill him too. Which is when he sees Maria and that she is well and alive. Only then does he realize the intention behind the rumor, but it is too late and he is fatally shot. He dies in Maria's grief stricken arms, a fatal reminder of how the Romeo and Juliet story keeps reliving itself even today.

Besides a little tweaking to the cast, the revival has also added a contemporary twist to the original Broadway Westside Story. Directed by Arthur Laurents who is one of the two surviving contributors to the original, this version has both the Sharks and Jets on an equal footing. According to Laurents, there is no hope in reviving a musical unless you add a fresh perspective to it. And the homogenizing of society due to globalization is the crux of this new Broadway Westside Story. With Spanish being a very gritty and expressive language, the dialogue also takes on new dimensions especially in the part that follows the death of Maria's brother. A new development to the plot is the reaction of the Sharks to Maria when she forgives Tony for killing her brother. Unlike the original where all she gets is a warning, Maria is now attacked and abused for her disloyalty.

If you have loved the original then the new Broadway West Side Story is definitely a must-see, just so that you can watch the story being retold by the youth of today. And if you're looking for tickets then you should definitely avail of the easy online booking service provided by a number of websites. These offer the exact ticket inventory as available at the box office, while allowing you to book your tickets with a click of your mouse. And if you do end up missing a show you've booked tickets for, then the options of ‘Past-dating' and cancellation insurance go a long way in minimizing your disappointment.
Al writes many articles about concert events around the country including ways to locate Broadway West Side Story Reviews and News for fans. His resources include news and events about the show and different ways to find Broadway West Side Story reviews and news online.