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West Side StoryAugust 2008 London, Sadler's Wells © Jeffery Taylor Former dancer, Dance Critic and an Arts feature writer for the |
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After 50 years of veneration the focus of an iconic show has shifted. West Side Story’s 1958 London debut was a turning point in the dancer’s art as explosive as Russian ballet legend Rudolf Nureyev’s impact a few years later. At the same time no longer do we gasp at a revolutionary artistic shake up, unpalatable facts of life boldly packaged in high quality art, today the talking point in a city in crisis is knife crime. Half a century ago American choreographer Jerome Robbins shattered pride in specialisation. From now on, said Robbins, dancers are all round artists able to speak and sing to the highest standards. But above all consummate actors. His steps, as illustrated in this latest revival are firmly rooted in the 1950s Agnes de Mille/Oklahoma! tradition, but motivation was his thing. If hatred was the point, his audiences had to feel it with knife edge clarity. Patricia Birch played Anybodys in the original Broadway show and she recalls how successful Robbins was in generating deep loathing among the cast. At the opening night on stage pre curtain notes, Robbins was hectoring the rival Jets (born American) and the Sharks (Puerto Recan) and backed downstage as he ranted. The dancers watched in silence, salivating with a thirst for revenge, as he shuffled backwards, suddenly disappearing with a painful but satisfying crash over the footlights and into the orchestra pit. But this production looks too low budget with not enough money spent on Paul Gallis’s excellent and flexible scrap iron tenements flavoured with sepia shots of contemporary New York. Nor are the dancers quite good enough. With the exception of Anthony Napoletano’s Baby John, the physical extremes of puberty, sexual rivalry and first love are not explored. It all looks too comfortable. The first act relies on performance values and doesn’t quite make it while Sofia Escobar’s Maria lights up the second half with a charisma as near to stardom as it gets. Leonard Bernstein’s score sounds as electrifying as ever, providing with Tonight as spine tingling a first act finale as you could wish.  West Side Story © Sadler's Wells
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