West Side Story

B

I will confess that I groaned when I heard that hotshot European director Ivo van Hove was going to direct this much-beloved musical. Having disliked his videocentric versions of The Damned and Network, I shuddered to think what he would do when he got his hands on this Laurents-Bernstein-Sondheim classic. When I further learned that he would not be using the iconic Robbins choreography so critical to the show’s success, I grew even more fearful. Judging from today’s preview at the Broadway Theatre, most of my fears turned out to be unwarranted. True, this production depends even more on video than the two shows I mentioned, but the video projections are generally better integrated into the production. While Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s choreography is no match for Robbins’s work, it has lots of energy and suits the production well. The omissions (e.g. “I Feel Pretty”) and reinterpretations may offend those who are devoted to the original versions, but they serve the director’s darker and grittier vision of the show. The young, diverse cast are excellent dancers, good actors and at least adequate singers. The two female leads, Shereen Pimentel as Maria and Yesenia Ayala as Anita had strong voices. Two of the male leads, Isaac Powell as Tony and Dharon E. Jones as Riff were out for the performance I attended, but their understudies, Jordan Dobson and Ahmad Simmons respectively, were fine. Amar Ramasar was strong as Bernardo. The costumes by An D’Huys were eclectic and not much help in distinguishing the Jets from the Sharks. The excellent lighting by Jan Versweyveld, who also designed the set, was important in that regard. The tattoos by Andrew Sotomayor are excessive and mostly unattractive. The set consists mainly of a video screen that covered the entire back wall that opened partially to reveal the drugstore and the bridal shop. The video design by Luke Halls is at the heart of the production. At times, it is used to amplify what the actors are doing. It was initially difficult for me to know where to look but I soon adjusted. At other times, the projection shows street scenes that, for some reason, move slowly forward. Elsewhere, it illustrates the current song, e.g. Puerto Rican hurricanes for “America” and abuse by police for “Gee, Officer Krupke.” Occasionally, it provides commentary on the present, such as a view of the border wall with Mexico. Most usefully, it shows the action in the drugstore and bridal shop which are basically too small and too far away to see properly. There are a couple of pandering gestures to the audience: the gang members gratuitously strip to the waist for the rumble and one of the gangs includes a same-sex couple. The show has been streamlined to 105 minutes, which allows less time for character development. I suspect that the less devoted you are to earlier productions, the more likely you are to enjoy this one. I think a younger audience will find it very appealing. Running time: one hour 45 minutes; no intermission.

Once On This Island

B+

I recall being underwhelmed when I saw this Lynn Ahrens-Stephen Flaherty musical back in 1991. Although it was nominated for several Tonys, it did not win any. Nevertheless, it ran for 489 performances and apparently developed quite a following. Now it is back on Broadway at Circle in the Square where its previews have been selling out with an audience skewing decades younger than the usual Broadway demographic. I decided to give it a second try. I suggest you arrive fifteen minutes early to watch the actors cleaning up the set representing their Caribbean island after it has been hit by a storm. When the play actually begins, the islanders tell a frightened young girl the story of Ti Moune (a radiant Hailey Kilgore), who had been rescued as a child from a tree by her adoptive parents Tonton Julian (Phillip Boykin) and Mama Euralie (Kenita R. Miller). When Daniel Beauxhomme (Isaac Powell), a son of the light-skinned ruling class, is severely injured in an auto accident in their village, she is the only one who will help him. She nurses him and falls in love with him. The gods take a keen interest in island life. We meet Agwe (Quentin Earl Darrington), god of the sea; Papa Ge (in a gender-bender, played — excellently, I might add, by a woman — Merle Dandridge); Asaka (Alex Newell), goddess of the earth; and Erzulie (Lea Salonga), goddess of love. Papa Ge and Erzulie make a bet whether death or love will be stronger when love is put to the test by betrayal. The ensemble is strong. The dance numbers by Camille A. Brown were the highlights for me. It is hard to believe that there are only four musicians because the sound is not skimpy at all. Dane Laffrey’s set design provides a visual feast and Clint Ramos’s costumes, particularly those for the deities, are superb. Michael Arden’s direction is assured. While I will never count it among my favorite musicals, I do have a new respect for it as a well-crafted work that creates a vivid world and offers some creative storytelling along with some appealing music and spirited dancing. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.