RALEIGH -- "West Side Story" was a landmark Broadway musical in 1957 because of two main components: unprecedented use of dance and a memorable, contemporary score. Both are given full due in N.C. Theatre's richly rewarding revival.
This gritty update of "Romeo and Juliet" deals with teenage gangs, ethnic clashes and tragic violence - not the sort of musical material seen at the time of its premiere. Until then, dance was not used for plot development either, and was generally a separate feature. Director/choreographer Jerome Robbins changed all that, using dance throughout to tell the story in brilliantly original ways.
N.C. Theatre's director/choreographer Joshua Bergasse re-creates the iconic Robbins steps with his superb cast of actor-singer-dancers.
Right from the dazzling prologue, in which Jets and Sharks whiz, soar and collide with marvelous precision, the bar is set for high-energy, eye-popping sequences. Whether it's the stage-filling coupling in "Dance at the Gym," the sassy frenzy of "America," the angry contortions in "Cool" or the raunchy antics in "Officer Krupke," the entire company impresses mightily.
Especially arresting is the "Somewhere" dream ballet, in which Tony and Maria imagine a peaceful world where Jets and Sharks walk side by side (mirrored with chilling reality in the show's solemn final moments). And "The Rumble" is grippingly visceral in its tightly choreographed bloodshed.
Binding it all together is Leonard Bernstein's still fresh score, movingly rendered by the 22-piece orchestra under Edward G. Robinson's incisive direction. His feel for the atmospheric underscoring adds telling depth to each scene.
The casting is spot-on, down to the last punk and policeman. As Tony, Josh Young sports a strong, mellifluous voice that makes "Something's Coming" a major number and thrillingly dominates the complex "Quintet." Catherine Cheng Jones gives Maria a sweet innocence, blending nicely with Young in "Tonight," their subtly controlled "One Hand, One Heart" the evening's emotional highlight.
Asmeret Ghebremichael is a spitfire Anita, playfully sensuous in "America" and dramatically charged in her final confrontation with the Jets. Leo Ash Evens parades Riff's cocky belligerence, Freddy Ramirez breathes Bernardo's unbridled hatred and Joey Calveri flaunts Action's bottled-up anger, all strikingly characterized.
The satisfying physical production includes Leo Myer's pastel sets and Ann M. Bruskiewitz's period costumes, both patterned after the 1957 originals, and John Bartenstein's sharply intense lighting.
The only cavils come in Bergasse's direction, with some long dialogue scenes needing tighter pacing, and the overall concept wanting more dramatic weight. This was particularly problematic in the "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love" scene, which lacked the necessary impact.
Such concerns are swept aside, however, by the undiminished power of the show, especially in this production's first-rate musical and choreographic offerings.
