West Side Story at Drury Lane - Yikes!

[Brian Song]

That video looks like a blatant and sloppy rip off Jerome Robbins choreography! ugh

[Sutton Ross]

Totes.

Thanks for talking about a video and not posting it though!

The Drury Lane is very hit or miss. Enjoyed Next to Normal there.

[jimmycurry01]

Aren't they contractually obligated to use Robbins' choreography? I believe we have covered that here a number of times, unless I am mistaken.

[jon5202]

Here is the video:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=909109#.VMHPqGctHAU

[Sutton Ross]

Aww, Bernardo looks like Danny from New Kids on the Block and the gang members are tiny, effeminate men.

Adorable.

[PalJoey]

Is the Drury Lane considered a professional theater?

[Everlast85]

We will do whatever we want and criticize whatever we want, just like you do all over this board.

That looks cheap and laughable.

This was in response to a post written by Pal Joey saying we shouldn't be mean or criticize a "community theater". He edited it to not look unintelligent while not acknowledging his mistake.

[ggersten]

Drury Lane is just outside of Chicago and uses Equity actors. It is not a community theatre. It has stepped up its game in recent years. Can't speak for this production of West Side Story.

[sweetTb'way]

If I'm not mistaking, Drury Lane is considered one of the main regional theaters to work at in the Chicago area. Wouldn't exactly call it community or amateur theatre. They hire equity performers. Not commenting on the video, just sharing information.

[ZannaDo]

A friend was at opening night tonight and said the production was actually quite good. Sets and costumes were a little cheap but the talent was first rate. Some transplants from Broadway in the cast and Roger Mueller (father of Jessie Mueller and one of the best character actors we have here in Chicago) is a standout in the little stage time that he has. Nothing wrong with talking about a show, but a short video isn't really enough to judge a production on.

[Sutton Ross]

It's not community theater in any capacity.

[Visceral_Fella]

Yes, a fair amount of the cast of revival cast Ragtime transferred to their production the season after it closed on Broadway. Not community by any stretch of the imagination.

[broadwayguy2]

Re: Drury Lane's Ragtime.
They had approximately TWO actor's from the revival - Coalhouse and a Sarah understudy - in that production. Not "a fair amount", but yes.

As far as this production goes, it seems good to me. Definitely footage from tech rehearsals, where tired actors are never flattered by a b-roll, the scenic design seems very nice, especially in their space, which has next to no fly space and limited wing space. The only three things that make me cringe would be the Anita, the less than skillfully reduced orchestrations (often a necessity) and less than ideal Lead Trumpet.
On the other hand, Lillian Castillo is featured (she was their Tracy in Hairspray) and I really enjoy her.. So..

[CarlosAlberto]

The chunky girl playing "Rosalia" gives me life.

[Bucky Builder]

What an obnoxious and unnecessary thread.

[broadwayguy2]

Carlos, that would be the lovely Lillian Castillo.

[Call_me_jorge]

I'm really hoping on seeing Billy Elliot there just to see how they do it.

[ACL2006]

it also doesn't appear that they're usiing the original choreograhpy. Their Anita also played the role in the 1st national tour (Michelle Aravena).

[Visceral_Fella]

Whenever I hear of any production of West Side Story, I think of how stunning Natalie Cortez's rape scene performance was. Her, "tell them Chino found out...... and SHOT her" felt like a bullet going through my body. I also wish that she had been able to perform the original choreo because she is a great dancer, but it was built around Olivo.

[Wilmingtom]

You are not contractually obligated to recreate the original choreography when you do WSS the way you are when you do Fiddler, which includes a choreographic manual with the rental materials.

[Phantom4ever]

I saw WSS at Drury Lane last night. I thought it was excellent. Yes there were a few times when the choreography strayed close to Robbins, especially during the Prologue. But as you can see from the video of the Dance at the Gym scene, it was not Jerome Robbins.

The taunting scene was very well-done; vicious, cruel and shocking as it should be.

Tony was at his best when singing "Maria". His "Something's Coming" as you can see from the video was uninspired and flat.

I thought the director did a great job with characterization with the Jets. I just directed a high school production of this show so I was so impressed with how in-character the Jets were.

I thought they sets were just right for a theater with no wing/fly space and no sky-high budget for creating such things. The lighting was flawless though. I loved how Act 1 closed with the search lights going over the audience, as if to indict us for the boys' deaths. Powerful stuff.

The director's note in the program was probably the best director's note I've ever seen. His final sentence was something like "If anyone ever questions the relevancy of this musical, one merely has to open today's newspaper". Especially in the crime-ridden Chicago area, that was painfully true.

Officer Krupke is one of my favorite scenes in WSS and this was one scene that slightly disappointed me. They did many of the same gags that I did with my high school students. I was expecting more creativity and originality.

[mpd4165]

FYI, WSS was directed by Rachel Rockwell, who's pretty much the go-to director of large scale musicals in Chicago.

[KJisgroovy]

She's also the go-to director of just copying the last Broadway production.

Her shows are always very well directed, and often hit as well or better than their Broadway counterparts, but I'm constantly frustrated at how much is so clearly stolen from prior productions. This production seems to be the worst example of this in recent memory.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Aww, Bernardo looks like Danny from New Kids on the Block and the gang members are tiny, effeminate men.

What a dick.

[DrewsiesBoy]

For what it's worth, full on rave in the Chicago Sun Times. Haven't seen anything from the Tribune yet.

http://entertainment.suntimes.com/music/west-side-story-drury-lane/