West Side Story: Classic comes to life at the Lyric Theatre

Phil Brown couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty as he revelled in one of the greatest musicals ever written. Read his review of this modern-day Romeo and Juliet retelling.

Local Sophie Salvesani in lead role of Maria in Westside Story to be performed at QPAC, Brisbane. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

In recent years we’d just got used to big musicals rolling through Brisbane. I guess we were spoiled. Then things went pear shaped with lockdowns putting our showstoppers at risk but we’ve been pretty lucky compared to other cities.

Last night at the opening night of West Side Story the crowd in the Lyric Theatre at QPAC seemed to sense how lucky they were to be even seeing a musical. In Sydney and Melbourne everything is closed down of course but here we were revelling in one of the greatest musicals ever written.

I felt a bit guilty actually. If you were there, did you feel the same?

West Side Story is not just any musical. This is serious heritage theatre, a show with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurents with original choreography by Jerome Robbins, translated for a new age by Joel McKneely. I mean, we are not worthy … or are we?

They like to be in America – some of the vivacious cast of West Side Story. (Photo by Will Russell)

And the songs, my god … America, Maria, Tonight, I Feel Pretty … and more. All classics now.

This modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet features not the Montagues and Capulets but rather two gangs of New York hoodlums – Anglo group The Sharks and some Puerto Rican immigrants, The Jets.

They battle it out for pride and turf. Therein lies the problem and ultimately, the tragedy.

It all hinges on tragedy and there’s something cathartic about that.

West Side Story wouldn’t really be as compelling if they all lived happily ever after. It remains a cautionary tale of how hatred can lay waste to lives – the ones that are lost as well as the ones that remain.

This Opera Australia-led production features an incredibly talented young cast with local performer Sophie Salvesani as Maria. Boy can she sing. Leading man, the doomed Tony, is Nigel Huckle and he has a lovely voice too.

I’m not sure I believed them as lovers though. Their relationship seemed to eventuate out of nothing without enough context or, pardon the expression, theatrical foreplay. Maybe that’s as it was in the original. West Side Story buffs will know if there has been any tampering or editing and please, let me know if you think there has been.

It’s also a little dated at times, as it would be but it’s still a powerful story and it is told starkly with a rather cool set.

Opera Australia’s West Side Story is jazzy and cool at times.

I loved the projections of photos of New York City, which added a lot for me because this is a New York story from a particular time. It’s set in the 1950s.

So some of it doesn’t quite translate but that doesn’t matter in the end because the music, the energy and talent of this young cast carries you through.

And then there’s the music. It was absolutely fantastic and the orchestra assembled for the Brisbane season is terrific under the energetic young musical director Isaac Hayward, who rightly came up and took a bow at the end of the show.

The dance scenes in the beginning really set the scene, although some of the moves got lost in translation later in the piece. The boys were better early on and the girls added vivacity – Angelina Thomson was a standout as Anita. Great energy and presence.

It’s a funny musical in some ways … jazzy with operatic pretensions that don’t quite gel at times. By the way, the whole Gee, Officer Krupke number might just not be appropriate in this day and age but hey, maybe that’s just me.

As terrific as the cast is, I feel the show was lacking in star power. I would have liked to have seen a couple of really big stars in it to elevate it and maybe lead the way.

Okay maybe it wouldn’t have suited Teddy Tahu Rhodes, but you know what I mean. Don’t you?

Having said that, it’s an enjoyable evening in the theatre and West Side Story is a musical that everyone should see. The performance should be done at least once a decade by someone. It’s a classic for a reason.

West Side Story is on in the Lyric Theatre at QPAC until August 22.