Seeing as West Side Story is one of the best musicals of all time, this new stage production coming to Auckland is a definite must-see. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and set in New York City, this classic musical tells the story of a love between two young people in the midst of a rivalry between two street gangs, the Jets led by Riff and the Sharks led by Bernardo.
I’ve only seen the film version and I loved it. I remember absolutely loving the character of Anita. She’s the best. I love her fiery attitude and Rita Moreno plays her brilliantly in the film. Her dancing in America is mesmerising. I truly could not take my eyes off her. Actually, the entire choreography in the musical is captivating. My eyes and mouth are constantly wide open because the dance routines are that thrilling. I hope this stage production exudes the same high-energy spirit.
The two lead characters are lovebirds Tony (a former Jet) and Maria (Bernardo’s younger sister). Real talk, Maria frustrates me. I feel she can be a little inconsiderate. [Spoiler alert! Look away now and skip this paragraph if you don’t want the plot ruined for you.] Tony tells her he killed her brother, Bernardo. Tony offers to turn himself over to the police. Maria stops him because she wants them to be together. Anita, who is with Bernardo, goes to Maria after finding out about Bernardo’s death and all Maria can talk about is Tony. And speaking of Tony, Maria asks him to stop the rumble between the Jets and the Sharks and what does he do? Kill Bernardo. You had one job, Tony! Anita and Bernardo deserve better. Clearly, I got a bit invested in the characters. The thing is you can’t help but care about these characters and that’s one of the many highlights of West Side Story.
And it would be an absolute failure on my part if I don’t mention the unforgettable songs. Tonight, Somewhere, America, Maria and I Feel Pretty are my standouts. My favourites to sing along to are Tonight and Somewhere as both songs are very emotional so you can sing and really get into it.
“Tonight, tonight/There’s only you tonight/What you are, what you do, what you say.”
So if you haven’t already, you should really book your tickets to catch at least one of the performances at The Civic. And just a heads up, GrabOne currently has a deal running for tickets for the June 27, 28, and 29 shows.
Where
The Civic
When
22 June – 2 July
Price
$79.90 – $114.90
