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West Side Story Reviews
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| 46 |
Already bought tickets to see again. Review by: Jay J, Apr 22, 2009 |
Overall, the production is fantastic.
I believe that alot of New Yorkers seeing this are going to agree on two aspects (listed below)
1) The mix of two languages is FANTASTIC -- (doesn't matter if you don't understand Spanish). "I feel Pretty" is so overdone in English anyway (we hear it in commericials all the time, etc...) so the Spanish version was more than welcome in this production.
2) Why do the actors look so happy?! ... read more It's so annoying. My one complaint with this production (and shows like Rent, etc) is that these kids look too cute to belong to a street gang. They look like they play tough in the street but have credit cards in their back pockets to get out of a real jam.
I think out of towners who don't live in big cities are going to feel the opposite for the most part: (disliking the Spanish and missing my point on item #2.)
However, I feel that the local audience and progressive visitors will appreciate what this production does by bringing the language up to date.
Oh, and the woman who plays Anita will get a well-deserved Tony nomination this season. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Seniors
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| 47 |
Gets Better Every Time! Review by: angie, Apr 17, 2009 |
| I've seen this show twice now, once the first week it opened, and recently at a Wednesday matinee. This sounds crazy, but it was even better the second time. It appears the cast has made some minor tweaks and they really work together well on stage. Highlights: Tony and Maria's (Matt and Josephina) voices (to die for!), dancing all the way around (VERY COOL!), Somewhere (just breathtaking!), the orchestra (WOW!!!!). I agree with the ... read more previous reviewer: It is the best show on Broadway! |
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must see!
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| 48 |
Review by: krispyc333, Apr 14, 2009 |
| West Side Story is the best show I've ever seen. Every single part of it was absolutely brilliant. The dancing, singing, and acting were all fantastic. I was a fan of the Spanish. It didn't take away from the story or dialogue at all. This was a perfect show in an imperfect world. |
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must see!
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| 49 |
Review by: CDN musical buff, Apr 11, 2009 |
I saw it last year in London(with a mostly North American cast) at Sadler Wells. I will always like West Side Story however I preferred the European production. I did not like the ending in this production evn though the script and music had not been altered. It was what was staged.
I would have like "somewhere" sung by Maria as in the production I saw in london and the film.
I appreciate the Spanish, however some songs are iconic. The ... read more rhythm of "I feel pretty" in Spanish were crushed to fit into the melody. It flows better in the original English.
I'm glad i saw it but I am jaded by the fact that I saw a better production in London.
The choreography was more energetic in London from "Ameriac" to the "rumble" scene |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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| 50 |
Congratulations to all at West Side Story! Review by: Brianna, Apr 9, 2009 |
| Two days have gone by since I saw West Side Story and I still cannot get it off my mind. Visually, it is a gem, the costumes are ingenius. Musically, the the production was so fine that I was brought to tears twice! The fist was Tony's (Matt Cavanaugh) rendition of Maria - so tender, pure, believable love coming through his voice at the crescendo, I still cannot believe that voice! The second magical moment for me was ... read more when a young boy (Kyle Bren)came on the stage singing Somewhere. His crystaline notes and innocent look and demeanor brought home the true meaning of the play, bravo young man! Of course Anita (Karen Olivo) was a knockout (both for her singing and dancing), but this was no surprise given her track record. Don't miss this fantastic revival!!! |
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must see!
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| 51 |
Sorry No Umpf!!! Review by: Auds, Apr 9, 2009 |
I saw the show last night, April 8th and I went with an open mind. I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed. The music was great but the actors did not convey any emotion to the audience. They sang the words but I did not feel a connection. I also did not see a need to translate the songs into spanish;; for me it did not add anything. Sorry
You can't improve on the original; at least not this one.!! |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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| 52 |
Amazing! Review by: , Apr 8, 2009 |
| I've read a lot of reviews claiming that the changes to Spanish detracted from the plot, but I have to disagree. Sure, it was hard to figure out EXACTLY what was happening in some scenes, but because the actors acted out what they were saying with facial expressions, etc, it was obvious to me what was happening. The play was absolutely amazing, and I would see it again! The acting was great, the singing was great, and the sets were incredible. |
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must see!
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| 53 |
Review by: Chelle, Apr 4, 2009 |
| Sorry, classics should not be changed this much! Songs and dialogue in Spanish may be politically correct multiculturalism, but damaged the show. The dancing was usually good, but little errors showed like finger snaps not synchronized. The quality of the singing was good, but I did not like the tempo change on songs like "Something's Coming." I missed the Jets in "America" scene. "Officer Krupke" was poorly staged. And the normally emotional ... read more ending was ludicrous with Maria grabbing a gang members hair and putting the gun to his throat. Way out of character! Overall, I was extremely disappointed. I have seen high school productions I liked much better. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 54 |
West Side Story- Tonys for all!!! (and Maria is also pretty darn good). Review by: leawoodcats, Mar 31, 2009 |
Amazing production of a classic show. Casting this time is so right, with major and minor roles played by strong actors.
Matt Cavenaugh and Josefina Scaglione as the starry-eyed lovers are are in perfect pitch in their Romeo and Juliet roles. Karen Olivo captures the fire of Anita like it has never been captured before. Visually, the production is handsome and gloriously colored. The direction provides seamless transitions from one scene ... read more to next. Add the amazing Bernstein score,with updated orchestration and choreography, and you have the finest production now on Broadway. Plan ahead to get good seats for what is now the hottest show on Broadway. After it wins all of the Tonys, this will be an even harder ticket to get. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Seniors, Tourists
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| 55 |
Change the end Review by: Laurie, Mar 31, 2009 |
| I loved the whole show but the end was the biggest disappointment for me as that was my favorite part of the movie. When the Jets and Sharks got together in the play ground and carried Tony off in a procession like fashion it was the result of three people dying. Other than that the dancing and acting were definitely first rate and very enjoyable. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| 56 |
One of my favorite shows Review by: Bernie, Mar 30, 2009 |
| Just saw West Side Story and loved it. The mix of music, dancing and singing was wonderful. The spanish mix was not a deterent but the only disappointment was the ending scene when Tony was shot and very few people showed up on stage. The ending with both the Jets and Shark appearing in the playground was a perfect ending and it was a shame the director didn't feel that it fit into his revival. Other than this scene this is a musical as it ... read more should be, singing, dancing and a wonderful story. |
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must see!
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| 57 |
A GOOD TIME Review by: BigKen, Mar 23, 2009 |
| I liked it! Yes, Tony(Matt Cavanaugh) could have been more of a "tough guy" but his voice was beautiful. Josephina Scaglione as Maria was the perfect wholesome girl with the voice of a medowlark. The Sharks and The Jets had many ballet moves. Unusual, but creative. I really enjoyed the song where the two groups and the three individuals were all singing separate songs together (one in Spanish)...and it worked! I had a good ... read more time and enjoyed the "Spanish twist." |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Large Group
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| 58 |
Loved the contrast between Spanish and English! Review by: Jon, Mar 22, 2009 |
| Absolutely disagree with previous reviewer's comment about Spanish detracting from the show. It is not snobbish or PC to have characters who are presumably native Spanish speakers speaking and singing to each other in Spanish. The idea that they should speak to each other in broken "eengleesh" was a concession made to a profoundly monolingual audience from the 1960s. In 2009 we can handle a little bit of Spanish, especially since it ... read more is not gratuitous and adds realism and layers of textual complexity not present in the original show. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Business Assoc.
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| 59 |
No tension, very bland. Review by: BroadwayBabeBrandy, Mar 19, 2009 |
Very disappointed, especially paying full price.
Mediocre production unfortunately. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 60 |
West Side Story is supposed to be sung in English... Review by: anlistee, Mar 15, 2009 |
Did not like the fact that politically correct have turned West Side Story upside down. The beloved, classic songs are meant to be sung in English. word of mouth going around--it's ruined by the p.c. tampering--acting in spanish, singing in spanish and changing scene sequences around. Bad judgment on the part of the snobby producers, and all who think that we like this dumb idea.
HATE THE LANGUAGE CHANGE. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
Large Group
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Recommended for:
Tourists
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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