"West Side Story" a nostalgic classic at the Bushnell

HARTFORD — As times change, it’s amazing how they stay the same. “West Side Story,” playing at the Bushnell through Sunday, was originally produced on Broadway in 1957, and deals with conflicts between races that are still an issue today.

by Kory Loucks


This musical, with fantastic songs by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, are classic, including “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” “America,” “One Hand, One Heart,” and “Tonight.”

Interestingly, when the idea for the musical was first conceived, Jerome Robbins, who created the original choreography and directed the original production, had envisioned the trouble being between Jews and Catholics during Passover in the Lower East Side of New York City.

It wasn’t until the recently deceased Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book for the show, came up with the idea of having the conflict be between the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks, and White gang, the Jets, that the show took shape and became the classic musical that it is today.

The story is a modern-day version of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” where a white boy, Tony, and a Puerto Rican girl, Maria, meet at a dance and fall in love, complete with a balcony (here a fire escape), but become star-crossed lovers when their worlds collide.

Kyle Harris plays the love-struck Tony with passion and a fine clear voice, although sometimes, particularly in the beginning, he swallowed the higher notes.

Ali Ewoldt is excellent as the youthful Maria, and possesses a gorgeous strong sound. Ewoldt and Harris’s duet “Tonight” is gorgeous.

Michelle Aravena plays the sassy Anita, the Hispanic gal who’s in love with Maria’s brother, the macho Bernardo, played by the sexy German Santiago.

Here, the Puerto Ricans seem to have the stronger sense of family and dignity, while the white boys come across as nasty punks who attempt a gang rape.

I wasn’t sure by the costumes what era we were in. The Hispanic gals all wore brightly colored dresses with full skirts, clearly reminiscent of the 1950s, but the white boys were dressed in clothes that could pass for today, with jeans and button-down shirts. It was a little confusing. I say pick an era and stick with it. Costume design by David C. Woolard.

The choreography, reproduced by Joey McKneely, is clearly in line with the original ballet style of Robbins that works so well with the music. It reminds me of Martha Graham’s modern dance ballet “Appalachian Spring,” with the angular lines, twirls, and swirling movements.

The problem with this style then and now is, ballet is all about romance and feels incompatible with brawling rough and tumble action.

The fight scenes also lacked a feeling of authenticity and felt very stylized, which is fine, but it seems that they appeared authentic at times and stylized at others, which was confusing.

The sets by James Youmans, with wrought iron balconies, fire escapes, and bridge girders, were true to the New York City location and added a sense of place.

The lighting, designed by Howell Binkley was serviceable, but the spotlights on the stars were wobbly and unsure. Here’s hoping the spotlight operators get their cues down before the show closes Sunday.

There’s a lot of sexual innuendo and some violent sexual scenes that might be a bit much for the very young.

Stage review

3 1/2 stars

"West Side Story"

Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Memorial Center.

Location: 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford.

Production: Book by Arthur Laurents. Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Directed by David Saint. Choreography originally by Jerome Robbins, reproduced by Joey McKneely. Musical supervision by Patrick Vaccariello. Scenic design by James Youmans. Costume design by David C. Woolard. Lighting design by Howell Binkley. Sound design by Dan Moses Schreier. Music direction by John O’Neill.

Running time: 2½ hours including a 15-minute intermission.

Show times: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Matinee performances Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., through Sunday, May 29.

Tickets: From $89 to $381. Call 860-987-5900 or visit the Bushnell website at www.bushnell.org

Actor.................CHARACTER
Ali Ewoldt .............................................… Maria
Kyle Harris ..............................................… Tony
Michelle Aravena …................................. Anita
Joseph J. Simeone .................................… Riff
German Santiago .........................… Bernardo
John O’Creagh ........................................… Doc
Mike Broland .....................................… Krupke

4 stars Excellent; 3 stars Good; 2 stars Fair; 1 star Poor

1/2 star designates half-rating higher

Photo: Kyle Harris and Ali Ewoldt as Tony and Maria in "West Side Story" at the Bushnell through Sunday.

credit: Joan Marcus