Friday, July 18, 2008

My West Side Story


WestSideStory1

Since 'Gypsy' was such a big hit,  the 90-year-old Arthur Laurents decided to go ahead with a new production of 'West Side Story'. The catch? It's going to be bilingual! Am I worried? Of course I am. Unlike film, theatre doesn't lend itself to subtitles. If I remember 'West Side Story' correctly, the parts where the Sharks are suppose to speak Spanish are plentiful. I can't help but wonder if this production got greenlit due to the mega-success of 'In The Heights', this year's Tony Award winner for Best Musical. 

For the sake of not alienating the dominant theater audience, I'm sure Laurents and his many, many years of experience will alter the book into something marketable without bending the original vision he had over 50 years ago when 'West Side Story' first set on stage. (NYT)

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