Keep ’em separated

The streets of New York City are hard. They were even harder in the 1950s, when the most rebellious urban music was jazz and gangsters fighting over territory were singing and dancing. Well, not really that last part. But this image of gangs seems to work fine in West Side Story, a gangster musical and love story based on Romeo and Juliet, set in 1950s New York City. The touring production opened Tuesday night at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre, delivering its unique blend of crime jazz, multi-dimensional choreography and even a hint of operatic tragedy.

Written in 1957 by Arthur Laurents, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story tells the tragic love story of Tony (played by Ross Lekites) and Maria (played by Evy Ortiz). Tony is second in command in the ethnically white Jets gang, and Maria is the sister of the Puerto Rican Sharks gang leader, Antonio. They fall instantly in love at a teen sock hop that features the colorful combination of swing and Latin-dance.

The problem here is that Tony and Maria mainly express their transcendent love through song—and their love songs tend to be sweeping operatic numbers. Contrasting against a backdrop of jazz-based, Latin-tinged, and swing-influenced stompers, these operatic love songs understandably fall flat and fail to convince. Sure, Lekites sings with power in the tenor and alto ranges, and Ortiz belts out some mean soprano notes during a few tunes. But in a diverse musical score mirroring the smorgasbord of urban music heard in New York in the 50s, the more operatic passages seem to slow down the excitement of the story.

What sets this piece of classic musical theatre apart from other musicals of the period is the innovative dance sequences by choreographer Jerome Robbins, which won the Broadway musical its only Tony Award. The balance of Latin, swing and ballet-influenced dance helps convey the story even more convincingly, despite how unlikely it would be to see gangsters en pointe. In combination with colorful costumes and a well-constructed set, the production is visually stunning. Some of the dance numbers also provide much needed comic relief against such a depressing and tragic plot.

It’s important to also note that much of the social commentary in the story is still relevant. For example, we still have disaffected and restless youth who turn to gangs in lieu of a troubled family environment. West Side Story shows us that gang violence will turn friends against each other, merely because of the false perception that one group is superior and the “other” is the enemy. This thought pattern eventually turns violent, which converts regular characters into raging tools of vengeance. Without spoiling the plot, it’s safe to say that when gangs rule the streets, no one is safe, and such is the case in West Side Story. The streets are indeed hard.