{"id":67566,"date":"2019-04-17T16:46:24","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T15:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/?p=67566"},"modified":"2019-04-17T16:49:41","modified_gmt":"2019-04-17T15:49:41","slug":"review-west-side-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/2019\/04\/17\/review-west-side-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: West Side Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
One of Broadway\u2019s most iconic musicals has arrived at the Royal Exchange Theatre, with artistic director Sarah <\/span>Frankcom<\/span> and choreographer Aletta Collins <\/span>putting together a splendid and breath-taking production of West Side Story<\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Romeo and Juliet story set in 1950s Manhattan was given a fresh and tasteful lift as Jerome Robbins\u2019 original choreography was replaced with new, energetic dance routines. The results were mixed, with some of the routines involving a small number of the cast not quite hitting the mark. Those involving the two gangs were dynamic and tense, still reminiscent of Robbins’ physicality. Immense credit should be given to the musical supervisor and director, <\/span>Jason <\/span>Carr<\/span> and Mark Aspinall, for the high quality performance of Bernstein\u2019s score. This is noted particularly during \u2018America\u2019 and \u2018Somewhere\u2019. The audience felt the band and players were in the theatre with them when in <\/span>fact<\/span> they were located in an isolated box outside.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n