"America" from the international tour of West Side Story...

[ljay889]

I came across this video on youtube. It's "America" from the current International Tour of WSS. McKneely directs and reproduces the choreography for this production.

And I hate to say it, but I find the dancing in this video no better than Karen and the girls from our revival. Maybe it's a problem with McKneely? Yes, the girls here do the leaps at the end, but it looks extremely awkward, not thrilling like when Debbie Allen and Charlotte d'Amboise do them.
Also the acting and vocals here are no better than any community theater production of this show.

Just curious what others think. I know I am probably opening a HUGE can of worms, but that's fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uknH2uWAxvo

and here are clips from the rest of the production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eB4vlC3tj0

[AndAllThatJazz22]

I think the Broadway cast performs this EONS better than what I saw on this clip.

[bethnor]

i enjoyed the current production more than most.

that said, i do think "the hand of the master" is missing, for better or worse.

in those clips, it doesn't help that one of the anitas is just as muscular as cavenaugh, compared to the more lithe allen and d'amboise. also, with the fire in the oil drums and tropical theme of the dresses, they look like they're doing "america" at a luau.

[ljay889]

I'd have to agree. I think the big problem is Robbins isn't here anymore. I know there's the argument that Robbins would never have cast Karen, but I bet he could have whipped her ass into shape much more than McKneely.

And people knock the costumes and sets of our revival. The tour's costumes and sets are um....interesting.

[BrodyFosse123]

I know there's the argument that Robbins would never have cast Karen, but I bet he could have whipped her ass into shape much more than McKneely.

Heck... Robbins was able to create the illusion that Rita Moreno was a real dancer for the 1961 film version of WEST SIDE STORY. He would have easily done the same for Olivo. Olivo definitely does have the foundation, she just needs/needed someone to pull it out of her.

Moreno, like Ann-Margret and Debbie Reynolds, never had any professional dance training. They just knew how to move, which great choreographers were able to work with and create dance magic thru the labor of rehearsing them endlessly.

[ljay889]

^ Thanks for your thoughts. It would have been amazing if Robbins was here to get the leaps/jumps and better kicks out of Olivo. Karen did say she went private ballet lessons before every rehearsal. I'm starting to believe McKneely was the problem.

[Tag]

Current Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production

[bethnor]

there is no way that even robbins could get olivo to do those stags at the end of "america"--at least, he could never get her to do it like d'amboise (who is basically knocking holes into her occiput with her heels in that clip). that comes from a lifetime of training. certainly he would have masked her deficits better.

it's also worth noting that the parties that insisted robbins would never have cast olivo are also the ones who pointed out that the 1980s revival failed, in part, because robbins insisted on ken marshall over two more vocally competent performers. so it turns out that robbins wasn't always right, either. fact of the matter is, the staged version of WSS has always been the women's show. it always will be.

i've seen comparisons between the revival and the stratford production. funny how one can always find something wrong if someone wants; the stratford dance is certainly very disciplined, but it looks like a bunch of adults dancing, not teenagers. half the sharks have receding hairlines.

[ljay889]

Charlotte's stags/leaps are INSANE. I love her version.

[PiraguaGuy2]

GUUUUUYS! You have to wait for PalJoey to weigh in!

[Scripps2]

It's a funny thing that you should mention this Ijay as I saw the International tour a couple of weeks ago. I've only seen what was on the Tony Awards TV screening of the current Broadway production.

The cast has changed much since both of the links you post and there were very strong individual dancers in the tour but the overall standard was inconsistent compared to Dance At The Gym on the Tony awards. The actress playing Maria (Sofia Escobar) remains the same as at the Sadlers Wells link and was every bit the equal of Josefina Scaglione, judging by what I could tell from the TV Tonys.

The first link looks like it is a special event - those are not the sets used in the tour - no burning oil drums and much more crowded balconies and ladders. Some of the costumes you can see in the second link are from the dream sequence which make it seem a bit glitzy. I found both the sets and the costumes added to my appreciation of WSS and was impressed with the production, but then the only comparator I have of the stage production was a weak UK tour from about ten years ago.

[ljay889]

"GUUUUUYS! You have to wait for PalJoey to weigh in!"

I am waiting! I'm prepared for the Karen bashing, lol.

[bjh2114]

You're delusional if you think Karen dances better than this girl playing Anita. It's not even comparable. This girl is far from the best I have ever seen, but she still makes Karen look like an amateur. Her lines are much cleaner and everything is done with a sharpness that Karen doesn't have. Overall, I don't care for the video, but I can't sit here and pretend that Karen is better than this girl.

[Scripps2]

Another (better) representation of the International tour:

http://www.westsidestorytheshow.co.uk/

[StageManager2]

I agree, bjh2114. Methinks ljay's just trying to justify Karen's Tony.

[ljay889]

LOL. Karen's entire performance justifies her Tony.

[bjh2114]

^ That is a HUGE matter of opinion.

[ljay889]

^ When the majority of 800 voters agree, I would say it's a pretty popular opinion.

[bjh2114]

Just because it's popular doesn't necessarily make it right.

[ljay889]

Mmmhmm.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Yeah, well Stephen Sondheim's boyfriend told me Cubby Bernstein's mom thinks Aaron Tveit is the best Tony ever.

SO THERE.

[StageManager2]

You know, I was thinking the other day if Chita somehow resents Karen's Tony. She made no bones in THE DANCER'S LIFE how much she hated Rita for doing the film AND winning the Oscar in the process. Now here's this less-than-stellar dancer (some say average) who wins the Tony for a role Chita created and is most identified with, but, more importantly, a role she wasn't even nominated for. Ouch! That's gotta sting.

[ljay889]

Chita certainly didn't insinuate that she hates Rita. But I remember her saying something along the lines of "The woman who wore MY dress won the Oscar." I think.

[ulkis]

Now here's this less-than-stellar dancer (some say average) who wins the Tony for a role Chita created and is most identified with, but, more importantly, a role she wasn't even nominated for.

Nah. Karen Olivo isn't going to be thought of as THE Anita outside the broadway (or in) community like Rita Moreno was/is.

Besides, I don't think Chita wasn't overlooked in particular back then, the whole show was. So she knows it's not something SHE did that caused her to be overlooked for a Tony nomination.

[ljay889]

Outside the broadway community may consider Rita THE Anita. But CHITA is definitely OUR Anita. Always will be.