BWW Review: WEST SIDE STORY at Florida Repertory Theatre Running now through December 15! by Elizabeth James Nov. 30, 2021
WEST SIDE STORY at Florida Repertory Theatre, directed by Kody C Jones, tells the classic musical story of the Jets, Sharks, Tony, and Maria. WEST SIDE STORY is a 1950s New York take on Romeo and Juliet, and it is an absolutely bittersweet show. There is joy, love, loss, grief, and so much more. This is a beautiful cast, and they did a wonderful job bringing this classic show to life. The Jets include Zach Schanne as Tony, Skyler Shields as Riff, Joe Collins as Action, Brett Shields as A-Rab, Patrick Agonito as Baby John, Zeke Bocklage as Snowboy, Keehnon Jackson as Big Deal, Brice Kingsley as Diesel, Chase Clark as Panzer, Michael Shelley as Gee-Tar, Scotty Wells as Mouthpiece, and Matthew Eakins as Tiger. The Jet Girls include Alexis Yard as Graziella, Missy Tucker as Velma, Emma Badger as Minnie, Paige Lewandrowski as Clarice, Sommer Senne as Pauline, and Sarah Joyce as Anybodys. Rounding out the Jets in the ensemble are Maddie Barker, Sophia Gurule, and Chloe Lowman.
The Sharks include Rebbekah Vega-Romero as Maria, Diego Guevara as Bernardo, Maria Cristina Posada Slye as Anita, Ryan Reyes as Chino, Yul Carrion as Pepe, Sean Rodrigo Royal as Indio, Alex Leeds as Luis, Nicholas Salerno as Nibbles, and Heros Oliveira as Toro. Alongside them are the Shark Girls, including Nayda Marie Baez as Rosalia, Sophie Elizabeth as Consuela, Kayla Clements as Teresita, Laela Beatriz Rodriguez as Francisca, Lorelai Vega as Estella, and Emily Longoria as Margarita. Rounding out the Sharks in the ensemble are Athena Rose Belis and Naomi Medina. The adults in the show include Michael Marotta as Doc, William McNulty as Lt. Schrank, David Breitbarth as Officer Krupke, and Cantrella Canady as Glad Hand. As you can tell, this is a very large cast. It is by far the biggest cast in a professional show that I have seen on Florida Rep's stage, and I have to give major kudos to everyone involved in the production for making it so wonderful. The acting was superb, the dancing was phenomenal, and the singing was so, so beautiful. From "Jet Song" to "America," "Cool," "Tonight," and beyond, each performance was spectacular. Vega-Romero's Maria and Schanne's Tony had incredible chemistry on stage, and it was such a joy to watch them fall in love before our eyes. Vega-Romero's "I Feel Pretty" was another stand-out moment for me, as was Schanne's "Maria." I also thoroughly enjoyed Slye's Anita alongside Guevara's Bernardo. Skyler Shields's Riff did a great job leading the Jets through every song, dance, and fight. Really, this cast is so talented, it would be hard to not love this show.
