The revival of the classic American musical West Side Story — directed by its librettist, current Gypsy Tony nominee Arthur Laurents — will begin previews at a Broadway theatre to be announced Feb. 13, 2009.
As previously reported, the new production of West Side Story will premiere at The National Theatre in Washington, DC, playing Dec. 16, 2008-Jan. 17, 2009.
The production, according to a casting notice, will feature Jerome Robbins' original choreography, re-created by Joey McKneely (Tony nominee for The Life and Smokey Joe's Café). Patrick Vaccariello will be the production's musical director. Laurents-Directed West Side Story Sets Broadway Preview Date
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
Very curious to see how it can be contemporary with the original choreography, because you don't really see choreography like that in contemporary musical theater.
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Reviews and the like
So excited!! This is, in my opinion, the best musical ever written and I can't wait to see this production. Does anyone know any of the specifics of how this production is going to be? I saw the interview with Laurents on NY1 and he didn't really give too much away...
He wants the cast very young and unknown There will be Spanish speaking and I guess singing He wants the gang members to act and sing like actual gang members No music, dialogue/lyrics, or choreography will be changed.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
Contemporary musical theatre choreography might be classified as humorous, athletic, clever, or even possibly ingenious, but not brilliant. Jerome Robbins's choreography for WEST SIDE STORY was brilliant. You don't mess around with that component of a musical theatre masterpiece.
Joey McKneely, who will be re-creating the original Jerome Robbins choreography, was a Jet in the WEST SIDE STORY suite of dances in JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY of 1989. His work on next season's revival is analagous to Bonnie Walker's reproduction choreography of Jerome Robbins's work in GYPSY starring, respectively, Tyne Daly, Bette Midler, and Patti LuPone. Maybe that is one of the things that hindered the Bernadette Peters lackluster production of GYPSY.
I also cannot wait as this is my most favorite musical EVER! I am very excited for the young actors/actresses that will be cast and it will be nice to have a more traditional sounding show with a youthful cast.
Can't wait. I will fly to NYC just to see this. A true masterpiece of musical theatre. I'd say it's about time it is revived but I think the waiting will be worth it. No one would want to see some half-baked production put on just for the sake of reviving it. There's too much integrity to uphold here.
Does anyone know when the last time WSS was revived for Broadway?
I was really hoping that there would be a new choreographer. While I admire and love the original work by Jerome Robbins, I think its time to see how someone else would do it. Oh well.......
I'll be seeing it during it's try-out at the National. Can't wait!
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Doesn't seem like they're giving themselves much time for changes between D.C. and New York. Is that enough time to install the show and run the show a few times?