West Side Story

Leonard Bernstein's modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, complete with tragedy following the blossoming of forbidden love, is a compelling piece of theatre. Set in the Upper West Side of 1950s New York, the rival families are now two gangs - the Jets (first generation American-born from Polish immigrant parents) and the Sharks (Puerto Rican immigrants who are seen as invading interlopers) - although the boys clearly see their gangs as two very real families, with the unquestioning loyalty blood demands.  

The continual struggle for dominance between the two gangs over what is essentially a small slice of real estate in a questionable neighbourhood makes the story that follows hopelessly poignant.  

Paul Gallis's set design has depth and detail, but appears simple - two tenements facing each other, scaffolding for the cast to use to excellent effect - and reinforces the idea of the opposing "houses". A series of projected backdrops shifts the scene as required, from claustrophobic street to the imagined "Somewhere" to a wider cityscape at the end; combined with Peter Halbsgut's lighting design, the entire effect is gorgeous. Renate Schmitzer's colour-coded costumes - bold blues, pinks and purples for the Latino Sharks, and more muted khaki, orange and white for the Jets - are similarly beautifully effective.

The show opens with a fully-danced prologue that shows the simmering tension between the Jets and the Sharks.  The dancing throughout West Side Story is remarkable - athletic, precise, joyous, and bursting with energy, with strong ensemble between the dancers, showing the ebb and flow of control between the two gangs (and the trust between all of the performers) - and in movement and pacing the production is faultless.  

However, singing Bernstein's music is not easy, as Todd Jacobsson (Tony), and Noah Watts (Riff) unfortunately show in their solos and duets, both struggling with vocal production and tuning as the show progressed. Jacobsson turned in an idealistic and charming performance otherwise. Watts was all angular energy as Riff, leader of the Jets, particularly as he performed "Cool" with the Jets.

Lyndon Watts was an excellent foil for them as the fiery Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, with a thoroughly grounded and seemingly effortless performance.

Sophie Salvesani (Maria) easily navigated the demands of the score, and her clear soprano soared in her duets with Tony, and in the particularly moving "Somewhere".  Maria could be something of a one-dimensional character, but Salvesani imbues her performance with wit, charm and warmth, especially performing the iconic "I feel pretty", which can come off as trite, but here Maria and her friends add just the right amount of verve and mischief.  Salvesani allows Maria to grow through both the thunderclap of first (and forbidden) love, and the tragedy she suffers as a result to become a moral force in the final scene, begging for the endless cycle of violence to stop. 

However, the standout performance for me was Chloe Zuel as Anita.  Zuel imbued Anita with boundless amounts of energy and sass, with an assured characterisation that made her a pleasure to watch as she stole not a few scenes.  Her performance of "America" was a complete show-stopper.  Zuel also showed her dramatic chops in Act 2, from the grief and hate of "A Boy Like That", to her horror and defiance in the face of her assault by the leaderless Jets. 

Ritchie Singer (Doc), Dean Vince (Officer Krupke), Paul Dawber (Lt Schrank) and Paul Hanlon (Glad Hand) all gave solid supporting performances as well-meaning but exasperated adults in the hothouse world of teenage gangs; and overall the cast delivered a memorable performance of a demanding musical.

Orchestra Victoria, under the baton of Donald Chan, displayed the grace and precision required for such a choreographically complex piece, which needed to marry a level of discipline akin to a ballet along with the dynamic sensitivity of an opera, even though the singers were miked.  OV brought out all of the orchestral colour to accompany the emotion of West Side Story.

Alex Armstrong

Photographer: Jeff Busby