We saw West Side Story on Sunday. The link goes to the Baltimore Sun review. I love this musical. It came out as a movie when I was in High School. My drama class got on a bus and went into Los Angeles to see it. I still remember how I felt when all those colors flashed on the screen. I played the music on the piano in my bedroom and sang until the neighbors commented on it. So when Cindy asked if I wanted to go see the new production at the National Theater, I was in the car and ready to go.
Cindy, Caitlin and I went. The theater is very close to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. That alone was pretty cool. Seating has already been set up across from the theater for the inauguration parade. This was a pre-Broadway production. It felt a little rough around the edges. Some of the elements should be changed, like the guy who played Tony. Some were interesting, like singing some of the songs in Spanish. And some were great, like Anita and the dancing.
The Spanish was new. As you may know, this is a play about 2nd generation European immigrants and 1st generation Puerto Rican immigrants. fighting for a miserable little corner of Manhattan. The new thing to me was the dance done to the song Somewhere. It shows both groups dancing together it a sun-lit place. The beach? A little boy sang the song. I guess this was Laurent's way of saying that we'd have to wait for the next generation to see this idylic place. Maybe they should restage this musical with Israelis and Hamas. Somewhere, indeed.
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