WASHINGTON 鈥� Strolling down the聽red carpet at last week’s Kennedy Center Honors, “West Side Story” alum聽 kept the rivalry embers burning between the Sharks and the Jets.
“I think she’d tell the Jets to get lost, frankly. I don’t know that she’s going to be that kind. She’d say to the Jets, ‘Get lost. Get out of here. Get off of my turf,'” Moreno tells聽海角精品黑料.
Now, a new generation snaps its way to 聽in Shirlington, now through Jan. 31.
海角精品黑料 caught up with Austin Colby and MaryJoanna Grisso, who respectively play聽the lead roles of聽Tony and Maria, the tragic聽star-crossed lovers who try to make peace between聽the聽Sharks and Jets, the same way that Romeo and Juliet tried to heal Shakespeare’s聽Montagues and Capulets.
“You’ll never get closer to the action. It is聽an action-filled show, both in drama, in dance, in physical combat, there is just everything. We’ll have you on the edge of your seat for sure,” Colby says.
“‘West Side Story’ is such a culmination. It’s genius. You have perfect music, you have perfect dancing, you have perfect dialogue, and a perfect message,” Grisso adds.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock and somehow missed the 1957 Broadway musical or the 1961 Best Picture movie,聽you know this story of two rival gangs聽in 1950s New York City. Written by the dream team of Leonard Bernstein (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) and Arthur Laurents (book),聽the musical is the聽biggest production Signature Theatre has ever attempted, with a聽30-person cast including Natascia Diaz as Anita, Sean Ewing as Bernardo and Max Clayton as Riff.
It’s all led by Colby, who grew up in Richmond, Virginia, before studying music聽education at聽James Madison University,聽joining the national tour of “The Sound of Music” and聽moving to New York City. He has fond memories of first聽encountering聽“West Side Story.”
“When I was in elementary school, my brother his freshman year played Tony in his school production of ‘West Side Story’ down in Richmond at Henrico High School, and I can remember crying at intermission because I knew how the story ended for the role he was playing,” Colby聽recalls.
Grisso also has vivid memories of the musical, growing up聽in聽Morgantown, West Virginia, before studying聽classical music and theatre聽at West Virginia University and moving to New York City.
“I had to study ‘West Side Story’ in one of my early music education classes, and I just remember being enamored with Maria, because you kind of connect to who you could play or who you could connect with the most and relate to the most at a young age,”聽Grisso recalls.
Her dream came true when she closed the聽U.S. national tour of “West Side Story”聽at聽National Theatre, where the original show made its pre-Broadway debut back in聽1957.
“Now I’m back! …聽This is my first production at Signature, so the first time I walked into this space, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be so intimate,’ because the audience is literally on three sides of us. It’s a thrust configuration, so everyone is right in your face,” Grisso says.
“Usually the show is done in a proscenium where the audience is that fourth wall, but now we have those extra walls, so it’s going to be really neat. The way the stage is set up, no audience member will聽be more than 20 feet away from the action. We’re basically in the audience’s lap,” Colby says.
The choreography includes Jerome Robbins’聽signature snapping, but with slight modifications.
“Our director, Matthew Gardiner, believes that no one can do better than Jerome Robbins聽… but Parker Esse, our choreographer, has the great challenge of setting it up so that you do the same choreography, but in this configuration, you’re able to change the focus and the angle,” Colby says.
Above the audience,聽scaffolding showcases聽the show’s 17-piece orchestra, playing聽the instrumental gold of the Latin,聽jazz and classical-inspired score,聽from the to When the聽performers’ mouths open, they’ll belt the greatest show tunes聽of any musical, period. It’s impossible to top the unbridled romance of the dreamy optimism of the smooth machismo聽of the peppy joy of or聽the social commentary of
Still, Grisso’s favorite number is Maria and Tony’s balcony duet of 聽calling it “one of the most magical things an actor can experience.” Similarly,聽Colby digs the聽聽as multiple cast member sing a showstopping quintet of聽overlapping voices just before the rumble.
“I think it’s pretty iconic what Bernstein and Sondheim put together by having everyone’s story overlap, and to hear similar themes, both lyrically and melodically, but having slightly different meanings for each character group, the Jets and the Sharks. It’s pretty brilliant work,” Colby says.
His聽other favorite number is the duet ballad “Somewhere,” with voices belting to the rafters.
“I just think that song is not only beautiful melodically, but just has such an amazing message that makes this such a timeless piece. It’s talking about finding a place where peace and acceptance and forgiveness are the norm, and unfortunately, we’re still dealing with that today,” Colby says.
Indeed, “West Side Story”聽dared to show how聽love can cut through聽mankind’s territorial聽instincts and the bubbling racial tensions of聽Italians and Puerto Ricans in 20th century America.
“‘West Side Story’ is so relevant. I’m grateful as a performer to do it, but it makes me sad as a human being that this is something that we still deal with, and very much so right now with all of the racism and cultural divides and religious divides. I just feel like ‘West Side Story’ is a cry out, it’s this idea of love surviving in this world of bigotry and hatred and violence. It’s like this little green leaf that’s growing in chaos and turmoil, and you don’t think that it’s possible, but it is.”
Click here for ticket information to Signature Theatre. Listen to the full interview below:
