westsidestory

West Side Story with Its Original Choreography Is a Stunning, Gut-Wrenching Spectacle

by Christopher Frizzelle

A few years back, the 5th Avenue Theatre produced A Chorus Line with all its original Broadway choreography. Seeing it staged like that—the exact gestures, the complicated formations, the style and wit of each physical moment—was a revelation. I'd always liked A Chorus Line, but that was the first time I loved it, the first time I understood how such an oddball, oversexed, often-discordant musical had achieved its legendary status.

So it is with the 5th Avenue's new production of West Side Story, which opened last week, under the witty, creative, flawless direction of Bill Berry.
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""Tonight" from West Side Story at The 5th Avenue Theatre" (Watch on YouTube)

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"West Side Story takes over 5th Avenue's stage - New Day Northwest" (Watch on YouTube)

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5th Avenue Theatre and Spectrum Dance Theater West Side Story Review

Posted by Doug Bursch

There are many enjoyable aspects of writing theater reviews. One is forming overly long descriptive title credit sentences such as it was my genuine pleasure last night to experience The 5th Avenue Theatre in association with Spectrum Dance Theater present a captivating expression of West Side Story that highlighted the thriving dance and theater expressions that permeate the city of Seattle. ( Read more... )

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5th Ave's WEST SIDE STORY Looks Pretty but Fizzles as a Love Story

by Jay Irwin

I used to hate Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim's "West Side Story". My only exposure was the movie and I found the story flat and unconvincing. I mean, an entire song just repeating her name? Geeze, learn how to write a lyric. But then a touring production came through town and they got it. They understood what they were singing about and knew how to convey it. And then I got it too. He only needs the one word because it's all he wants to hear. ( Read more... )

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Musicals of yesterday intersect with sensibilities of today
Local productions address cultural shifts, specialized skills and financial challenges of beloved shows.

By The 5th Avenue Theatre

Think of a classic American musical. Something like “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” or “West Side Story.” If you picture the stage, it’s filled with actors – singers and dancers joyfully performing musical numbers that have imprinted on our hearts and minds even if we aren’t musical theater fans. What you may not think about is the process it took to fill that stage. Finding the talented triple threats it takes to perform this complex choreography and sing an iconic score can be a challenge even for organizations like Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, one of the largest musical theaters in the country.
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"Sizzle Reel for West Side Story at The 5th Avenue Theatre" (Watch on YouTube)

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60-plus years later, ‘West Side Story’ endures and thrives, including a new production at 5th Avenue Theatre

By Misha Berson
Special to The Seattle Times

At age 62, “West Side Story” is the granddaddy of musicals about crazy mixed-up kids. And yet, as a new run of the show at the 5th Avenue Theatre approaches, this Broadway classic based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” remains popular and current across generations.

But why so? Certainly today’s gun-violent street warfare is more lethal and drug-related than the fisticuffs-heavy rumbling between the show’s Jets and Sharks gangs. ( Read more... )