By Kimberly Harper
It’s hard to have a love for musical theater and not know West Side Story. Before I knew anything about the show, I learned “Somewhere” in voice lessons more years ago than I want to admit. And even if you don’t know all the music, you’re probably aware that the plot is basically Romeo and Juliet. Just, you know, set in 20th century New York instead of Renaissance-era Verona. And instead of the Montagues and Capulets settling their grudges through sword fights, you’ve got the Sharks and Jets with knives and some highly stylized ballet style combat. Leonard Bernstein’s beautiful score and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics have made it one of America’s favorite musicals, and Theatre by the Sea gives us a version that’s a total joy to watch.
Admittedly, I’m a sucker for pretty music that conveys emotion as well as some of the songs in West Side Story do. I’ll get goosebumps at the end of “Tonight” no matter how many times I listen to it. I love a good play on words (“Dear Officer Krupke,” I’m looking at you). And the actors absolutely knock the songs out of the park. The chemistry between Evy Ortiz and Bronson Norris Murphy as the star crossed lovers Maria and Tony is electric. From the moment they meet on stage you believe in love at first sight, and their connection makes the ending that much more emotional (spoiler: Romeo and Juliet isn’t a romance and West Side Story, while far more lovely, doesn’t exactly end happily ever after either). The ensemble is tight. And even the numbers that are sort of difficult to make engaging (seriously, how are you supposed to stage “Maria” anyway?) are enjoyable because of the very talented voices behind them.
But as good as the voices and actors are, it’s Diane Laurenson’s choreography that takes this production from good to stellar. The dancing in the show is energetic, moving and straight up impressive. The fight sequences are especially well done, but Dana Hunter as Anita is equally captivating. She has a strong voice but her dancing appears effortless and graceful, kicking everything up an extra notch.
Technically, the orchestra sounded fantastic. I really appreciate when theaters use professional musicians, and this is one show especially where it helps make the production. The costumes were visually appealing and the sets were intricate enough to be interesting but not grandiose enough to take away from the actors. It’s a consistently well done show across the board.
If you’ve never seen West Side Story, this is a great time to rectify that. If it’s an old favorite of yours, this is far from a generic interpretation and well worth the drive to South County.
“West Side Story” will run through July 16 at Theatre By The Sea, 364 Cards Pond Road, South Kingstown. Tickets range from $47 to $67 and may be obtained by calling (401) 782-8587 or visiting theatrebythesea.com.
