Theatre Tallahassee's West Side Story- A Review

By Trevor Durham on April 9, 2016

Snap. Snap. Kick. Jump. Leap. Rumble. The Jets and the Sharks haven’t felt more cohesive, more dangerous, or more ferocious than Theatre Tallahassee’s West Side Story. Inventive choreography, a live band, the raw anger of the gangs, an operatic Maria, and a stand out lighting design swing the production through the flawed tropes the West Side script always brings with it.

West Side Story’s Leading Advertisement.

Tallahassee’s community won’t find any revelatory changes in director Naomi Rose-Mock’s rendition- the 2009 Broadway changes are not present, nor will much of the classic be changed. West Side is still the tale of two gangs fighting over turf, a doomed love affair, and the familiar Romeo and Juliet adaptations.

Where Rose-Mock’s production shines is within the gang-centric portions, from the infamous opening Prologue, to the rumble, Dance at the Gym, Cool, and even simple scenes such as the war counsel. The Jets feel like a unit, as do the Sharks. Costuming is not uniform, but there is no question where loyalties lie- this may be in part due to the choice of hosting separate rehearsals to encourage group-animosities (akin to the original West Side Broadway production). Numbers such as America thrive with small groups of powerful dancers, while the chaos of Dance at the Gym makes you want to rewind and see it all over again. The quick-step Mambo and the ballet scenes are almost smooth as water in execution.

West Side certainly has some high-jumping Sharks.

With the creation of the ensemble-show, problems are inherently created in the trade off. Individual characters are swallowed by the group, scenes without the groups usually feel devoid and stalling for the return, even making the empathy with individual narratives more difficult. When the stage cleared after Jet Song and we were left with Brian Boehmke, playing Tony, the show seemed to almost come to a crashing halt. The sways of energy are more script than director, a threat West Side always carries with it.

And the Jets aren’t far behind.

Individual performances still manage to shine through the trappings of an ensemble- Carolyn Hall’s Maria was a knock out, thanks to a voice that captivates and chills. Her suitor (fashioned after Paris), the often ignored Chino, was actually given a sad little life by Brandon Santos. On the opposing side, Michael Cleary’s Action (Riff’s right hand man, leader during Gee Officer Krupke) had a righteous anger behind him, balancing well with his solos in Krupke and the following scene.

Picture provided by director Naomi Rose-Mock.

An aspect worth noting is the lighting- Sydney Norris sketched out a wonderful design for the main-stage. The colors and transitions were fantastic, when the cues hit- on occasion, the spots, transitions, or lights would stall in their cues and leave actors obscured or in total darkness. This may have been an opening night hiccup.

Bernardo and Riff, West Side’s tragic heroes, look each other down.

What West Side Story relies on is good dancing and a strong voice- things you’ll find without fault in Theatre Tallahassee’s production. The live pit plays well, the vocals mix (the Tonight Quintet is a monster in its own right), and the dancing… Robbins would be proud. It’s a cool show, a must see before the term ends.

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