PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Brosilow
In his director’s notes, Milwaukee Repertory Theater artistic director Mark Clements speaks of his life-long familiarity with West Side Story. He turned to it as The Rep’s 2019-’20 season opener as a work that “promotes tolerance, humanity, provokes meaningful thought and conversation and gives us a sense of redemption and hope in these polarizing times.”
It would be nice to see Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s seminal work of American theater as a “museum piece;” a relic of a fading past where U.S. society was shot through with racism, intolerance and hostility to recent immigrants. Sadly, given the current occupant of the White House, his political party and their incessant tapping into the worse elements of xenophobia and bigotry, seeing this now 62-year-old musical is all too relevant and viscerally relatable.
Mounting a successful production of this large-scale work is no mean feat. It requires a highly talented young cast capable of dramatic acting, athletic dancing and fine singing—not just in the main roles but in numerous supporting roles. Thankfully, The Rep’s production has found precisely that. First and foremost, the doomed lovers, Maria and Tony, are brilliantly played by Liesl Collazo and Jeffrey Kringer; their budding love touching and believable; their duets and solos gorgeously rendered. Other stand-outs include José-Luis Lopez Jr. (Bernardo), Courtney Arango (Anita), Jacob Burns (Riff), Jonathan Wainwright (Lt. Schrank/Glad Hand) and James Pickering (Doc). Truth be told, the entire cast is superb, and The Rep’s production of West Side Story is top-notch.
Through Oct. 27 at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, 108 W. Wells St. For tickets call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.
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