Bernstein, Sondheim, Kushner, and Spielberg

I mentioned last week I wanted to see the new version of West Side Story on the big screen. Today I did. Though the theater had 35 seats I think there were only eight well spaced people in the theater – not bad for 1:50 pm. As for the movie – Wow! Director Steven Spielberg, with the help of a rewritten screenplay by Tony Kushner, did a great job! Of course, they kept Leonard Bernstein’s music and songs with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, though the credits list a few modern orchestrators. The new screenplay gave some of the characters more of a backstory – Tony is working at Doc’s pharmacy because Tony is living there because he just got out of prison for nearly killing a guy in a previous street battle. Some of the other changes: Shortly after the original film was made the neighborhood that served as the set was torn down and replaced by Lincoln Center with high priced residences around it. This version plays on that. At the start the same neighborhood is in the process of being torn down. Both Jets and Sharks know they are too poor to afford to live in those new posh buildings – the best the Sharks can hope for is to be a Puerto Rican doorman. They’re fighting over turf that they’ll soon be pushed out of. Doc’s store is now run by his widow Valentina, who is Puerto Rican. The love between Doc and Valentina is now echoed in the love between Tony and Maria. Valentina is played by Rita Moreno, who was the original Anita in the first movie version. The Puerto Ricans in the cast are played be actual Puerto Rican and Latinx actors. In the original many of the Sharks were white people in dark makeup. Some of the songs and dances are no longer just a moment to express emotion (though there is that too). The song Cool had been a way for Riff to help the Jets to blow off steam. This time Tony is trying to keep a gun away from Riff. The Jets sing their Officer Krupke song while being held in a police station. And some things were very much the same – the dance at the gym is still a high energy confrontation between the two gangs. In the original movie (and in many stage productions) the opening confrontation between the two gangs is choreographed a dance. In this version it didn’t seem so much like a dance. That’s my only disappointment. In the original movie Anybodys comes across as a tomboy trying to fit in with the guys. In this one I saw her more as transgender, trying to be one of the boys. The credits in IMDB list about 50 stunt doubles, some for general scenes, some doubling for specific actors. I also read in the credits there were dance doubles for many characters, though it looks like many of the leads have dance backgrounds. There will be a filmscore recording featuring all the songs. To get an idea of the intensity of the music I recommend The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein. I suggest getting a recording directed by the composer. Yes, I think this one is better than the original movie. I highly recommend it and seeing it on as big a screen as possible.