Theater League's West Side Story at The Orpheum Theatre
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 5/9/00
(out of )Surprisingly, one of the secret joys of being a theatre critic is getting a chance to see some of those old classics over and over. Sure, we may gripe about too much Tuna, or multiple Noises Off!, but no matter how many times a near-perfect musical like a Guys and Dolls or Hello, Dolly! struts the boards, we find ourselves drawn into the wonderment, remembering why we got into this profession in the first place. Such was the feeling I had during the opening night of Theater League's production of Sondheim and Bernstein's West Side Story. While, it wasn't a flawless production, when you start with great source material like this, you're already way-ahead of the game.
Director/Choreographer Sha Newman has wisely concentrated on the extensive choreography and music of the piece. She has allowed this show to soar in voice and movement by casting great singers and dancers, and not worrying quite as much about acting. The result is occasionally cheesy when it speaks, but beautiful when the music starts, which fortunately it does a lot. Her choreography is a great tribute to Jerome Robbins, while still bringing much of her own to the piece. The ensemble does her movement justice and sings beautifully, which is why this evening works as well as it does.
As Tony, Roger Befeler is an imposing figure with an angelic voice. While there are moments when his acting seems a little too presentational, he still plays the part earnestly. On opening night, the role of Maria, usually played by Shea Curry of Fox's Malcolm in the Middle, was wonderfully played by Francis Garcia, whose operatic soprano balanced her somewhat limited character development from young girl to mature woman. This can be said of most of the rest of the cast, from Tim Talman's golden-throated and fleet-footed Riff, to Chuck Saculla's not-terribly-threatening Bernardo. The best acting comes from Marcia Francisco's Anita, and the members of the Jets. Ms. Francisco seems more interested in advancing the plot than those around her, while also doing a good job during her musical and dance numbers. Meanwhile, John B. Williford, Grant Rosen, Cameron Henderson, Evan Litt, Robin Trowbridge, and Michael De Mocko give strong performances as the gang at the center of the show, and do a great job during their numbers.
Musical Director Lloyd Cooper handled Bernstein's lush music well, and the orchestra was well modulated. Nicholas Dorr's set is a mixed bag. The flats are not very impressive, yet the central platform that is a four-way split representing several of the locales is ingenious. Kim Killingsworth and Liz Stillwell's lighting, and Mark Cowburn and Devin Quince's sound were effective, even as the unbilled costume design included a few too many wrongly placed chinos that made it occasionally look more like a Gap commercial than a period piece.
This is a musical that is filled with so many magical moments, it's hard to get it wrong. With Ms. Newman's great choreography and the cast's superior vocalizations, the generally lower-key acting does not stop this from being a worthy evening of theatre.
Production Details:
West Side Story Book by Arthur
Laurents, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Music by Leonard
Bernstein
Theater League
The Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix
(602) 952-2881
May 9th - 14th, 2000
