West Side Story: Love and violence
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from February 2002.
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West Side Story, based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, offers an escape into another world of romance mixed with the violence that can result from gangs and the lessons that can be learned.
The musical, with superb choreography, combines acting, music, song and dance with a cast of over 25 people. The entire original production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.
The action begins in a New York City neighbourhood where two gangs, Sharks and Jets, meet at 5 pm during the last days of one summer in the mid 1950s.
Maria (played by Simone Barron) and Anita (Andrea Rivera), are from Puerto Rico and moved with their parents to Manhattan, New York.
Bernardo (Ian Morgan), also a Puerto Rican, hates the white Americans. But is it worth risking his life? Does he end up dead or was he one of the lucky ones?
Anita who is dating Bernardo, leader of Jets, becomes concern when Maria starts to date Tony (Steve Morgan), an exmember of Sharks. Anita does not understand how Maria can date a guy from the other side. Other concerned citizens such as the Lieutenant, "Doc", and a police officer try to deter the gangs from acts of violence.
The show, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and music by Leonard Berstein, is also a love story.
Maria and Tony fall in love at first sight. She dare not let her parents know. So, just to see him she risks getting caught and exits the house on the fire escape to meet with him at night. With some planning they also meet at the bridal shop and at the dance hall, which she attends with Anita.
The couple exchange vows but did they really get married? And how could Maria love him after what he has done?
One might say there are extenuating circumstances. Leader of the Sharks gang, Riff (Andrew Honey), tried to get Tony to rejoin but he doesn't want to because Maria would not approve. So, he tries to keep the peace between the gangs but in trying to do so there is a misfortune. How can he explain to Maria what he has done?
When the life of a man is taken the two gangs come together to remove the body. It took a tragedy for them to realise that violence does not pay.
West Side Story, with its interesting twists, offers lots of singing and dancing along with the dramatic story line.
Music lovers will like this show with an array of colourful costumes in juxtaposition with an evocative set.
The show lasts two and half hours with nine scenes in act one and six scenes in the second act.
The programme uses art from the original movie, which is based on a conception of Jerome Robbins. The book was written by Arthur Laurents.
West Side Story, put on by the Cayman Drama Society, runs on Thursdays through Saturdays until 2 March at 7:30 pm at the Prospect Playhouse.
