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After 60 Years of its Opening WEST SIDE STORY Continues to Thrill Audiences in Historic Production
by Claudio Erlichman. Now on stage at Theatro Sao Pedro, the production is directed by Claudio Botelho and Charles Moeller and stars Beto Sargentelli and Giulia Nadruz.

By Claudio Erlichman

After 60 Years of its Opening WEST SIDE STORY Continues to Thrill Audiences in Historic ProductionTheatro St. Peter will receive from July 8th the original staging of West Side Story, by the American composer Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and libretist Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021). With 25 performances, the show runs until August 7th.

The production is directed by Charles Möeller and the Brazilian version by Claudio Botelho. The musical direction is by Cláudio Cruz, who commands the Orchestra of Theatro São Pedro. Fabio Namatame signs the costumes, the scenography is by Rogério Falcão, the lighting by Paulo César Medeiros and the reassembly of the choreography by Mariana Barros.
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"West Side Story is one of the greatest shows in history, we can consider it a watershed. West Side Story is maturity, where the spoken text is as deep and important as the sung music and dance. It is where the three arts come together par excellence," says Charles Möeller.

Claudio Botelho highlights: "it is a strong, renewing show, considered one of those works that kick-start anyone who decides to work with musical theater".




The production also has a cast headed by Giulia Nadruz (Maria), Beto Sargentelli (Tony), Ingrid Gaigher (Anita), Andre Torquato (Riff) and Guilherme Logullo (Bernardo).
I'm sorry,

It was in 1949 that for the first time composer Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and writer Arthur Laurents (1917-2011) met at a meeting promoted by director and choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918-1998) to work on a modern version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1564-1616). Called in this age of East Side Story, it was about the romance of a Jewish-American boy with a Catholic girl of Italian descent, amid the street gang wars on New York's Lower East Side. The many professional commitments forced the trio to suspend the project for six years, and when they met again it seemed to them that the imagined conflict made no more sense. Much more suited at the time, they thought, would be the romance between a boy of Polish descent with a newcomer Puerto Rican girl, still in the midst of gang warfare, but now set on the west side of the city. It was then that Bernstein gave up writing the lyrics for his songs and entered the scene a young 27-year-old composer named Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021), a rising talent who had never presented anything on Broadway. The rest is history!



In the plot of West Side Story the Sharks and Jets want to dominate their territory on Manhattan's West Side. Tony, a former Jet, is trying to mature in life by keeping a job in Doc's drugstore. Riff, the current gang leader, begs Tony to go to the dance at the school gym where the Jets will challenge the Sharks to a fight. Bernardo, the sharks boss, has a younger sister, Maria, and when she and Tony meet it's love at first sight. In the confrontation a pocketknife is drawn and Riff is killed by Bernardo. Tony, who came to break up the confrontation, kills Bernardo in a moment of blind fury. Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend, rushes to warn Tony that Maria wants to meet him and run away, but the gang mocks her and she, in a fit of anger and resentment, lies and tells them that Maria was killed by Chino. Tony goes looking for Chino to be killed, since his life no longer makes sense without Maria, only to find her alive. It's too late. Chino shoots Tony dead. The Jets and Sharks are beginning to understand the tragedy the consequences of their deeds have caused.


West Side Story is an exciting, captivating and seductive spectacle. His music is so powerful that it doesn't seem to have been written for more than sixty years. In addition to Sondheim's exceptional music and clever lyrics, Jerome Robbins' galvanizing choreography, the unprejudiced vision of New York city street life, the intensive use of dance serving as a framework for the brilliant ly plot, which develops in the format of musical comedy, make West Side Story a musical that deservedly marked the time and subscribed to the very exclusive list of the best musicals of all time, either for its innovative characteristics, or for its high quality music or its dances that opened new perspectives on Broadway.

The musical has been revived several times, presented in many countries and translated into more than 20 languages. The 1961 film version here called Love, Sublime Love starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in addition to nine others. In its 2021 remake, directed by Steven Spielberg, the film earned seven Academy Award nominations, giving Ariana DeBose the Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of Anita, the same feat achieved sixty years earlier by Rita Moreno in the same role. The first Brazilian montage of West Side Story took place in 2008 at Teatro Alfa, directed by Jorge Takla, with Fred Silveira and Bianca Tadini in the main roles of Tony and Maria.


It was on July 8 that finally debuted at Theatro São Pedro, after a postponement due to the pandemic of COVID-19, with crowded sessions, the long-awaited reassembly of the musical. A masterpiece in the hands of those who know how to do it. The right people, doing the right thing in the right place. Two and a half hours of pure emotion, where the artistic, technical and musical part are nothing short of impeccable. The safe and perfect direction by the consecrated duo Charles Möeller and Claudio Botelho reminds us why they are considered the Kings of Musicals in the country. The two had the keenness of spirit to toast us with the original choreographies, here magnificently reassembled by Mariana Barros, since the impetus of the show really comes from the legendary choreography of Jerome Robbins, where dance is an integral part in the unfolding of the plot. To revive numbers such as Prologue, America, The Rumble and Dance in the Gym (Mambo), for example, the best among the dancers/actors/singers of Brazilian musical theater was selected, since each of them incorporates a different character, knowing the motivations behind each step, displaying a kinetic energy necessary to maintain the momentum of the show until its inevitable completion. The musical direction and conducting with great bravery in charge of Cláudio Cruz commanding the Orchestra of Theatro São Pedro, live, with more than forty members, is formidable. Claudio Botelho also has the task of displacing for Portuguese the precise poetry of Sondheim, brilliantly, without losing the vivacity of the original, finding effective and intelligent solutions, especially, for example, for the tonight/quintet version, where he brilliantly solved the replacement of the word "tonight" with "you ", since the song asked for a dissyllable word and still maintained the rhythm and melody of the lyrics.

The scenography in charge of Rogério Falcão is integrated in such a way to the unfolding of the plot that if in the first act those typical buildings of the region of the Region of the New York tenements present themselves in an orderly way, in the second act it will turn into a labyrinthine and disordered chaos, as well as the state of mind of the characters. Even the service wall of the iconic and centenary theater of São Paulo is used in a natural way to make up the scene. Add to this the beautiful lighting of Paulo Cesar Medeiros, giving practically cinematic moments of very climax, emphasizing the action. In charge of Fabio Namatame, the costumes have a whole chromatic study in their palette, used to separate the gangs where the Sharks use brighter colors such as purple, black, marine and red and the Jets, the Colder Americans, wearing blues, browns, oranges and yellows contrasting with the Latinos. Mary is the only exception: all in white, she has a neutral color until the loss of innocence.

Despite the young age, 30 years, I have the privilege of following the career of Beto Sargentelli since 2007, therefore half his age. And the delivery he gives his interpretation of Tony, is the coronation of these years all of much dedication, studies and interest in the profession. He's at the top of the road he's been treading in musical theater, whether in comedy or drama. His interpretation for the song Maria, where he reaches an unreachable si flat, or in the difficult Something's Coming is formidable. His interpretation all inspired by a modern Romeo is sensitive at the same time as ingenious. It's hard not to get emotional, not to catch yourself with watery eyes, with your extraordinary performance.



Guilia Nadruz, who was also fortunate enough to follow her career, from A Fiddler on the Roof (2011), of which I was part of the production, also shows a rapid professional rise, improving her vocal technique more and more, in always difficult roles, which she delivers with such a naturality, that we forget that she has a song there interpreting. And with Maria it's no different. She makes her character movingly passing with much integrity of innocence and naivety in Act I to a girl who is forced to mature in Act II in surprising ways. She manages to be equally graceful in I Feel Pretty, romantic on Tonight and tragic in I Have a Love. In the number Quintet/Tonight notice at the end, where she reaches a hard c note.

In addition to the extraordinary chemistry between the couple of protagonists there is no number in which Beto and Giulia do not take the house down!

Supporting roles are of great importance in West Side Story, having songs that help develop the narrative and define the character of the characters. Ingrid Gaigher is incendiary as Anita (the Puerto Rican in love with Bernardo). His interpretation allied to dance in America is irretocible and in A Boy Like That shows a unique resignation. André Torquato in the role of Riff (Tony's best friend) is very unwrapped and sexy, toasting us with a rendition of Cool, those breathtaking. Guilherme Logullo (Maria's brother) presents a Bernardo with great vitality and virility. Finally we have the soprano Raquel Paulin, in an unprecedented character, the Carmen of the Decks, a kind of mythical identity sometimes imperceptible in the corners of the scenarios, that with her black costume that looks everything, everything sees, in the decisive moments of the plot, as if it were a moira, surprises us with a beautiful and entertaining interpretation of Somewhere. It is also worth mentioning the participation of Henrique Moretzsohn as an animated Glad Hand, Ubiracy Paraná of Brazil as the policeman Krupke, Fernando Patau as Doc, the owner of the drugstore and Romis Ferreira as Shrank.


The show emphasizes the metallic noises of big cities, the tenement son of the poor areas of New York and confines lyrism to the love story and passion that springs spontaneously from Bernstein's music. But what is striking is that even the obvious deviations from Shakespeare's original story (e.g.: Julieta/Maria ends up alive) do not affect the integrality of the work that is very strong. One element that West Side Story has that saves the night from absolute tragedy - an element that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet doesn't have - is the sense of forgiveness. Tony, maturing and trying to escape the cycle of violence, dies while trying to stop his peers from his self-imposed code of honor. When, in their immaturity, the Jets and Sharks allow their emotions to increase violence, it is their own who get hurt, and only then do the gangs begin to understand what all their insults, taunts and insures have caused. The musical may make fun of Officer Krupke and all the feelings of excessive pity or solidarity that try to excuse the actions of the offenders on sociological bases, but the musical itself, although in no way tolerates the actions or dodges its consequences, still has a moment of unity and hope at the end. It is this hope that makes the intensity of the night bearable and makes West Side Story eternal.

Opera and Broadway musicals share a very important feature: the power and beauty of singing. While Broadway often adapts operas to its own aesthetics (such as In Miss Saygon, Aida, RENT or Carmen Jones), some opera houses picked up existing bold musicals and presented them the way they were written. May the success of this montage of West Side Story stimulate Theatro São Pedro/Santa Marcelina Cultura to take in its future seasons other musicals that nowadays are already part of the repertoire of many opera companies around the world. The Most Happy Fella, Porgy and Bess, She Loves Me, South Pacific, Candide, Magdalena, Show Boat, A Little Night Music and Carousel are just a few suggestions.

ORCHESTRA OF THEATRO São PEDRO

Charles Möeller, general direction
Claudio Botelho, Brazilian version
Claudio Cruz, musical direction
Mariana Barros, reassembly of
choreography Rogério Falcão, scenography
Fabio Namatame, costumes
Paulo Medeiros, lighting

CAST:
Giulia Nadruz, Maria
Beto Sargentelli, Tony
Ingrid Gaigher, Anita
Andre Torquato, Riff
Guilherme Logullo, Bernardo

Jets Boys:
Gabriel Conrad, Diesel
Thadeu Torres, Action
Diego Martins, A-Rab
Danilo Barbieri, Baby John
Bruno Boer, Big Deal
Alvinho de Padua, Snowboy
Caru Truzzi, Anybodys

Jet Girls:
Andreza Medeiros, Velma
Mari Amaral, Graziella
Natalia Serra, Minnie
Larissa Leão, Clarice

Sharks Boys:
Victor Leal, Chino
Gabriel Querino, Pepe
Cezar Rocafi, Indio
Davi Tostes, Luis
Paulo Victor , Anxious
Victor Vargas, Nibbles

Shark Girls:
Carol Botelho, Rosalia
Luana Zehnun, Consuelo
Moira Osorio, Teresita
Mariana Montenegro, Francisca

The Adults:
Fernando Patau, Doc
Romis Ferreira, Schrank
Ubiracy Brasil, Krupke
Henrique Moretzsohn, Glad Hand

Raquel Paulin, A Young Woman

https://www.broadwayworld.com/brazil/article/Review-After-60-Years-of-its-Opening-WEST-SIDE-STORY-Continues-to-Thrill-Audiences-in-Historic-Production-20220719