Someday A Time, Someday A Time

I've been to see a number of musicals in the last few months, and every time I see a show I really enjoy I think that this is it, the art form can get no better. This was certainly my experience of Hairspray which I reviewed not that long ago.

Modern musicals certainly get the entertainment aspect down pat, but when it comes to the passion, the classics should not be forgotten. I was reminded of this when I went to see West Side Story last night at Sadler's Wells. It is so rare to get the convergence of song, dance and storyline which elevates a simple night out into an evening of pathos, and I am very glad to say that this musical does just that.

First of all though, let me say that I have never seen West Side Story on the stage before; I have only watched the iconic film. While the film itself is amazing, there were moments of melodrama in it, and there really is a limit to the number of times you can look into Natalie Woods' glistening eyes before feeling like you want to slap her. Then again, the film was made in 1961, in a less cynical age. In the theatre though, the raw emotion and exaggerated acting makes much more sense.

Sophia Escobar, who plays Maria in this version, has a gorgeous, passionate and innocent voice, with a very natural Puerto Rican accent. You watch her and do believe that she could fall in love with Tony in the space of one night. When she reprises Tonight, she has to pluck a note out of the air unaccompanied, to which the orchestra than rises to meet. She does this with confidence and conviction, and was spot on. Brava!

Ryan Silverman, who plays her paramour, certainly has the stage presence and gentle masculinity to add to the illusion. His voice too was incredibly beautiful. The role of Tony calls for a very high tenor, and Mr. Silverman switched with ease from chest to head voices and then to falsetto in a smooth scale. My only complaint was that he was rather flat in some of the higher notes, and the final high note of Somethings Coming, his opening solo, verged on painful to hear.

The remainder of the cast was good too, although the weakest vocal link was by far Lana Gordon. She was no Rita Moreno, nor would I expect her to be, but her diction was quite poor, and she swallowed the repartee in America which meant that some of the humour was lost. That said, she is an amazing dancer. Indeed the real highlight of the show was Jerome Robbins' incredible choreography which has stood the test of time. It is energetic and poetic at the same time, and helps to propel the story.

All in all I had a grand evening and strongly recommend watching the play while it is still on. It always strikes me as snobbish when opera-lovers look down on musical theatre as an inferior art form. West Side Story demonstrates that this is clearly not the case.