WEST SIDE STORY by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim (Dancap). At the Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge). Runs to June 3. $51-$180. 416-644-3665. See Listing. Rating: NNN
West Side Story is one of the best musicals of the 20th century.
The current touring production captures some of its magic, improving as it moves toward the story’s tragic end.
Arthur Laurents’s book transplants the Romeo and Juliet story to the streets of 50s New York City, where rival gangs the Jets and Sharks go after each other in a rumble. Complicating matters is the relationship between the Jets’ second-in-command, Tony (Ross Lekites), and Maria (Evy Ortiz), sister of Sharks leader Bernardo (German Santiago). You know things won’t end well.
The show is filled with some of composer Leonard Bernstein and young lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s best tunes. Even 60 years after its premiere, the Jerome Robbins choreography is thrilling, no matter how many times you might have seen it.
The key innovation in this production is the occasional use of Spanish dialogue and lyrics for the Puerto Rican characters.
Things get off to a slow start, though, and it isn’t until Lekites appears that the production begins to blossom innocent and open, he gives freshness to Something’s Coming and later discovers all sorts of loving wonder as he sings Maria.
Ortiz isn’t quite as rich as her partner in the first act, but she warms up in the second to bring the show to an emotionally strong conclusion. Michelle Aravena’s Anita adds additional fire.
You can’t go wrong with West Side Story’s great music and choreography, but this version only occasionally takes them to the heights.
