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northern-iowan.org | tuesday, february 12, 2013
page 7
THEATRE REVIEW
Broadway’s ‘West Side Story’ brings Latin flair, new life and a little street cred to Gallagher-Bluedorn ANDREW RUBENBAUER
Theatre Writer
As the curtain was drawn, a dark street lined with towering buildings and a rusty fire escape appeared through the haze. When the actors took the stage, it became clear the audience was no longer in Cedar Falls, Iowa, but on the streets of New York City. “West Side Story” is an American musical that serves as a 1950s New York City gang adaptation of William Shakespeare’s timeless classic “Romeo and Juliet.” The Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, along with Troika Entertainment, brought the show to the University of Northern Iowa Feb. 8 through Feb. 10. Pitting the Puerto Rican immigrant Sharks against the Caucasian juvenile delinquent Jets, “West Side Story” realistically re-created the tragic environment that surrounded the forbidden love of protagonists Maria and Tony. Through song, dance, acting and various technical elements, the streets came to life
before the audience. With 15 starkly different scenes, “West Side Story” kept the diverse audience of children, students, alumni and community members captivated. The passion and sorrow with which each kiss was delivered and each tear was shed could be seen as the actors lived the twists and turns of their characters’ troubled lives and romances. The performers, through character-specific mannerisms and choices – as exemplified in their dancing, singing and acting – added personality and flavor to their craft, creating an individual style that was consistently carried throughout the production. “I think the actors themselves were my favorite part of the show,” said Chelsea Miller, a junior theater performance major. “They gave 100 percent to their roles, and it was completely evident in the performances they gave.” Solo performances such as “I Have a Love” evoked strong emotional responses while large-scale ensemble
numbers like “America” and “Gee, Officer Krupke” kept the onstage energy alive. This energy came not only from the vocal ability of the actors but also from the exemplary dancing. By highlighting the dancing, the famous songs of “West Side Story” became the showstoppers of the production. With a former Ricky Martin backup dancer and “So You Think You Can Dance” contestant, the dancers gave each scene a Latin flair or ’50s jive step with ease. Pirouettes and turns were present in a knife fight while elements of flamenco and swing created intense battles at the high school dance. The ability of the dancers to convey a message through movement not only increased the aesthetics of the scene but transformed it completely. The 31-member cast made for a believable and emotional experience in which the characters confronted messages of racism, masculinity, sexism, violence, love, family, loyalty and much more. While the Sharks told
Maria to “stick to your own kind,” the Jets told Tony his girl was the enemy. “It’s not us,” cried Maria, played by MaryJoanna Grisso. “It’s what’s around us.” All these emotions and factors increased the cultural divide between the Jets and the Sharks. “Every one of you hates every one of us and we hate you back,” screamed Bernardo, played by Andrés Acosta. “The level of intolerance between the groups in the show was almost hard to watch,” said Joe Barloon, junior electronic media major. With so much happening onstage in “West Side Story,” audience members left the Great Hall discussing their opinions of the show and what they took away from it. “… Everyone is human, and when we come together we can do great things, or we can remain divided and run headlong into tragedy,” commented Miller. Barloon and Miller, along with other UNI students, had the opportunity to see “West Side Story” for free.
“I got my ticket by using my two free ones provided to me by UNI per semester. Without them, it would have cost me $122 to take my girlfriend with me,” explained Barloon. The GBPAC offers a rare experience to UNI students. Not only can students see professional, travelling shows from around the world but they can see these shows without breaking the bank. Miller explained why he thought the opportunity was important. “At such a critical juncture in our lives, when we’re doing our best to figure out who exactly we are, these performances present us with a unique opportunity to see things in a way that we may not have considered otherwise,” said Miller. College students at UNI and around the world are facing, have faced or will face many of the same hardships confronted by the Sharks and the Jets in “West Side Story.” By working toward a better < See GBPAC, page 9
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