There will be a tour of Broadway’s current incarnation of West Side Story starting in October this year. This production, which features the classic score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, was directed by its librettist, Arthur Laurents. Much of the original Jerome Robbins choreography was restaged by Joey McKneely.
The tour will open at The Fisher Theatre in Detroit and further stops will be announced by the producers at a later date.
Purchases from Amazon.com
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
1. West Side Story 2009 Broadway Revival Cast Recording CD.
2. West Side Story Complete Script (side by side with Romeo and Juliet).
3. West Side Story Complete Vocal Score.
Musical Cyberspace 
Hi, is this in the US or UK? I love WSS, just wrote a post on it today.
It’s in the US. Will check out your blog!
West Side Story was a tragic disappointment. I took my husband and teenaged daughter, who are not avid theater goers like me. However, they had high expectations and were excited to see the show. They actually fell asleep. I’ve been thinking about why they fell asleep during a potentially powerful show.
After careful thought, I concluded that they fell asleep because the show lacked luster and vitality. For starters, Tony, an understudy, disappointed with a weak, amateurish voice. He and Maria just didn’t have any chemistry, the chemistry vital to the basic love story. Their duets were perfunctory and staged. Even the lighting and costumes continued this flat effect.
Pacing was another problem. Most scenes seemed to drag. The transitions between scenes were not smooth. In all, a very chopped, disjointed production.
Another disappointment was the set. The set seemed cramped and too small for the dancers to really go all out. They seemed to feel confined and stilted. Their powerful, youthful spirits were not allowed to express themselves with their strong, motivating emotions. Didn’t seem like life or death, more like a technical dance routine.
The plot seemed flat, not the gut wrenching emotional journey we should have been experiencing. I got a lump in my throat at the end, not because of the emotional build up, but because I know the play so well and relied on my own imagination. Tragically, not a wet eye in the crowd.
In conclusion, even though the show oozed with professional vocal and dancing talent, the show lacked the essential ingredient for a play. WSS lacked luster and vitality. WSS lacked soul. Shouldn’t we expect more from professional theater in Detroit? I have seen more pathos in community productions of WSS. We wanted to be moved emotionally. We deserved a good cry.
-Kayjee
10/15/2010
I absolutely love West Side Story! Jerome Robbins’ choreographed this critically praised stage musical that was later turned into a Hollywood film that Robbins choreographed as well as directed. His direction brought the dance sequences to life by getting all the angles that flattered the choreography and told the story with shots he got. The phenomenon that became West Side Story changed the way everyone in the world looked at Broadway musicals. I am a dancer which is why I appreciate the choreography of the musical and how Robbins has shaped the entertainment industry today!