“West Side Story,” one of the most beloved and enduring Broadway musicals of all time, has often been seen on the Great White Way since it premiered more than sixty years ago, but never quite like this. The revolutionary musical has been reimagined in equally revolutionary fashion this season by Tony-winning director Ivo van Hove (“A View From the Bridge”), whose production opened at the Broadway Theatre on February 20.
This modern, taut staging of the Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents musical stars Isaac Powell and Shereen Pimentel as star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria, who lead a company that boasts dozens of Broadway debuts. To distinguish his take on this iconic material, van Hove enlisted Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker to contribute new choreography––controversially replacing Jerome Robbins’ original, indelible dances––as well as designer Luke Halls to create videos that accompany the onstage action on a massive screen that...
This modern, taut staging of the Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents musical stars Isaac Powell and Shereen Pimentel as star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria, who lead a company that boasts dozens of Broadway debuts. To distinguish his take on this iconic material, van Hove enlisted Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker to contribute new choreography––controversially replacing Jerome Robbins’ original, indelible dances––as well as designer Luke Halls to create videos that accompany the onstage action on a massive screen that...
- 2/21/2020
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
It’s safe to say you’ve never seen West Side Story like this before.
Visionary director and Tony winner Ivo Van Hove has completely transformed Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary 1957 musical for its new Broadway revival, which opened at New York City’s Broadway Theatre Thursday night. And while his wild changes sometimes clash with Arthur Laurents’ celebrated book, this bold and gritty new West Side Story stands apart from any production before it in a fresh and admirable way.
So just how different is this West Side Story? Well, the Romeo and Juliet-inspired plot remains,...
Visionary director and Tony winner Ivo Van Hove has completely transformed Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary 1957 musical for its new Broadway revival, which opened at New York City’s Broadway Theatre Thursday night. And while his wild changes sometimes clash with Arthur Laurents’ celebrated book, this bold and gritty new West Side Story stands apart from any production before it in a fresh and admirable way.
So just how different is this West Side Story? Well, the Romeo and Juliet-inspired plot remains,...
- 2/21/2020
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
If we’re being honest, West Side Story has seemed a little out of date for quite a while.
Rather than having the rebellious teenagers of the 1950s represented through rock & roll, the musical about Puerto Ricans newly arrived to New York City being targeted by earlier immigrants (Irish, Poles, and Italians) had Leonard Bernstein’s magnificent dissonant score coupled with Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics that capture the collision of rhythms and impulses. The book by Arthur Laurents is lean but filled with lines like, “Ya done good, Buddy boy” and “Thanks,...
Rather than having the rebellious teenagers of the 1950s represented through rock & roll, the musical about Puerto Ricans newly arrived to New York City being targeted by earlier immigrants (Irish, Poles, and Italians) had Leonard Bernstein’s magnificent dissonant score coupled with Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics that capture the collision of rhythms and impulses. The book by Arthur Laurents is lean but filled with lines like, “Ya done good, Buddy boy” and “Thanks,...
- 2/21/2020
- by Jerry Portwood
- Rollingstone.com
Broadway’s West Side Story is coming to the defense of cast member Amar Ramasar, who has been at the center of continued protests outside the theater over a sexually explicit photo the actor had shared of his girlfriend in 2018 when both were members of New York City Ballet. Protesters have called for his dismissal from the West Side Story production over the photo. The protest was carried out even after the woman depicted in the photo disavowed the calls for his firing and said the actor – her boyfriend of five years – was being unfairly targeted.
“The West Side Story Company stands, as it always has stood, with Amar Ramasar,” the West Side Story production said in a statement provided to Deadline. “While we support the right of assembly enjoyed by the protestors, the alleged incident took place in a different workplace — the New York City Ballet — which has no...
“The West Side Story Company stands, as it always has stood, with Amar Ramasar,” the West Side Story production said in a statement provided to Deadline. “While we support the right of assembly enjoyed by the protestors, the alleged incident took place in a different workplace — the New York City Ballet — which has no...
- 2/13/2020
- by Denise Petski and Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
A group of protesters outside Broadway’s West Side Story Friday night continued to call for the dismissal of a cast member who in 2018 shared a sexually explicit photo of his girlfriend when both were members of New York City Ballet. The protest was carried out even after the woman depicted in the photo disavowed the calls for his firing and said the actor – her boyfriend of five years – was being unfairly targeted.
Amar Ramasar, who plays Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks gang in West Side Story, was one of three men fired in 2018 from New York City Ballet after dancer Alexandra Waterbury accused them of sharing sexually explicit photos of her and another female dancer without the women’s consent. Ramasar was later reinstated following a union arbitration and continues to be a member of the ballet company.
The initial allegations were made in a lawsuit filed by...
Amar Ramasar, who plays Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks gang in West Side Story, was one of three men fired in 2018 from New York City Ballet after dancer Alexandra Waterbury accused them of sharing sexually explicit photos of her and another female dancer without the women’s consent. Ramasar was later reinstated following a union arbitration and continues to be a member of the ballet company.
The initial allegations were made in a lawsuit filed by...
- 2/1/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are currently nine productions of musicals set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below, we recap the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of its author, cast, creative types, the opening, and (where applicable) closing dates.
“West Side Story”
In the fifth Broadway revival of Arthur Laurents, Lenoard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim’s 1957 classic inspired by William Shakespeare’s famous play, “Romeo & Juliet,” this musical is set in the Upper West Side neighborhood of New York City. The story explores the rivalry between two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The Jets, a white gang, and the Sharks, who are immigrants from Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang’s leader,...
“West Side Story”
In the fifth Broadway revival of Arthur Laurents, Lenoard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim’s 1957 classic inspired by William Shakespeare’s famous play, “Romeo & Juliet,” this musical is set in the Upper West Side neighborhood of New York City. The story explores the rivalry between two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The Jets, a white gang, and the Sharks, who are immigrants from Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang’s leader,...
- 1/28/2020
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Casting for director Ivo van Hove’s upcoming Broadway revival of West Side Story was announced today by producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller and David Geffen, with what they’re calling an unprecedented 23 actors making their Broadway debuts.
The production, with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s all-new choreography in place of the familiar moves of Jerome Robbins, begins performances on December 10 at the Broadway Theatre, with opening night set for February 6, 2020.
The cast will include Shereen Pimentel as Maria, Isaac Powell as Tony, Yesenia Ayala as Anita, Amar Ramasar as Bernardo, Ben Cook as Riff, Ahmad Simmons as Diesel, Danny Wolohan as Officer Krupke, Jacob Guzman as Chino, Kevin Csolak as A-Rab, Matthew Johnson (debut) as Baby John, Dharon E. Jones (debut) as Action, Zuri Noelle Ford (debut) as Anybodys, Daniel Oreskes as Doc, Pippa Pearthree as Glad Hand and Thomas Jay Ryan as Lt. Schrank.
The ensemble will include...
The production, with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s all-new choreography in place of the familiar moves of Jerome Robbins, begins performances on December 10 at the Broadway Theatre, with opening night set for February 6, 2020.
The cast will include Shereen Pimentel as Maria, Isaac Powell as Tony, Yesenia Ayala as Anita, Amar Ramasar as Bernardo, Ben Cook as Riff, Ahmad Simmons as Diesel, Danny Wolohan as Officer Krupke, Jacob Guzman as Chino, Kevin Csolak as A-Rab, Matthew Johnson (debut) as Baby John, Dharon E. Jones (debut) as Action, Zuri Noelle Ford (debut) as Anybodys, Daniel Oreskes as Doc, Pippa Pearthree as Glad Hand and Thomas Jay Ryan as Lt. Schrank.
The ensemble will include...
- 7/10/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Carousel, the revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical that picked up 11 Tony Awards nominations this year and won two, will play its final Broadway performance September 16, producers said today.
The first new production of the classic tuner in more than 20 years began its run at the Imperial Theatre with preview performances starting February 28, and opening night April 12.
Tony nominees Joshua Henry and Jessie Mueller starred in the revival along with Renée Fleming in her first Broadway musical. Jack O’Brien directed, and Josh Peck won the Tony for his choreography.
Tony winner Lindsay Mendez, Tony nominee Alexander Gemignani, Margaret Colin, John Douglas Thompson, Amar Ramasar and Brittany Pollack also feature.
The revival’s cast recording was released in June.
The first new production of the classic tuner in more than 20 years began its run at the Imperial Theatre with preview performances starting February 28, and opening night April 12.
Tony nominees Joshua Henry and Jessie Mueller starred in the revival along with Renée Fleming in her first Broadway musical. Jack O’Brien directed, and Josh Peck won the Tony for his choreography.
Tony winner Lindsay Mendez, Tony nominee Alexander Gemignani, Margaret Colin, John Douglas Thompson, Amar Ramasar and Brittany Pollack also feature.
The revival’s cast recording was released in June.
- 8/8/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Audiences encountering Joshua Henry’s electrifying performance as the charismatic but star-cursed Billy Bigelow will long remember the experience. In this new Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel,” Henry shows off the exceptionally beautiful voice of a genuine actor-singer, a voice that while warm and mellow, can also soar with joy and tremble in despair.
Director Jack O’Brien has given us a conventional production of “Carousel,” in the sense of a show that takes no risks but preserves and protects all the original values of a great American musical. This isn’t obvious at first glance, because Santo Loquasto has designed a breathtaking abstract vision of a carousel — complete with flying horses/dancers — to open the show. But the rest of the musical settles into visual comfort zones for scenes set along the waterfront of the 19th-century New England mill town where the show is set.
Hammerstein...
Director Jack O’Brien has given us a conventional production of “Carousel,” in the sense of a show that takes no risks but preserves and protects all the original values of a great American musical. This isn’t obvious at first glance, because Santo Loquasto has designed a breathtaking abstract vision of a carousel — complete with flying horses/dancers — to open the show. But the rest of the musical settles into visual comfort zones for scenes set along the waterfront of the 19th-century New England mill town where the show is set.
Hammerstein...
- 4/13/2018
- by Marilyn Stasio
- Variety Film + TV
The weekend is chalk full of new Specialty releases, though most will likely be low performers in terms of dollars at the box office. Entertainment One is opening Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen starrer Outcast with limited runs and will likely find tepid returns at the theatrical box office, though it may shine in the digital/on-demand space where it will also bow this weekend. Documentary Ballet 422 (Magnolia Pictures), meanwhile, has had solid buzz heading into the weekend and should score well in its niche market. Monterey Media is hoping to have traction with stars Wes Bentley, Vincent Piazza and Amber Tamblyn as it opens 3 Nights In The Desert in theaters and on-demand, while Freestyle Releasing is targeting the rom-com crowd for its debut, One Small Hitch. Other Specialty openers this weekend include First Run Features’ doc The Other Man: F.W. de Klerk And The End Of Apartheid In South Africa,...
- 2/6/2015
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline
"Ballet 422," directed by Jody Lee Lipes, opens in New York at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, on Friday, February 6th, 2015.
Have you ever wondered how a ballet gets created, the costumes get designed, the timing is mastered, and the pointe shoes get sewn on?
"Ballet 422" transports you backstage to the making of the New York City 422nd ballet, “Paz de la Jolla,” set to the musical composition by Bohuslav Martinu from 1950, “Sinfonietta La Jolla.”
Founded in 1948, the NYC Ballet staffs a full orchestra, costume shop, lighting department, production crew and 91 full time dancers. 25 year old, Justin Peck, has been a member of the NYC Ballet since 2007, and was commissioned to choreograph the only new ballet in the 2013 winter season, with only 2 months to prepare.
Justin Peck: “My whole process of choreography is based on the music exposing the details, the complexities, and the textures of the orchestra.
Observe the elite principal dancers (Sterling Hyltin, Tiler Peck, and Amar Ramasar), practice their:
Pas de Chat’s (‘the step of the cat’ The dancer jumps sideways, and while in mid-air, bends both legs up (two retirés) bringing the feet up as high as possible, with knees apart),
Grand Jete’s (a split in the air),Pas de trois (a dance by three dancers),Passe’s (placing or passing the working foot near the knee of the supporting leg. When passing by the knee, the foot passes from front to back or back to front and then may slide down the supporting leg to the floor or transition into a position such as arabesque or attitude), Arabesque’s (A body position in which a dancer stands on one leg (the supporting leg) with the other leg (the working leg) turned out and extended behind the body, with both legs held straight), and Assemble’s (A jump that lands on two feet).
Two months, two weeks, one week, as the premiere of “Paz de la Jolla” draws closer, the film reflects back on all the hard work and practice rehearsals that it took to lead up to the big night.
How will it be received?
Heavenly!
Have you ever wondered how a ballet gets created, the costumes get designed, the timing is mastered, and the pointe shoes get sewn on?
"Ballet 422" transports you backstage to the making of the New York City 422nd ballet, “Paz de la Jolla,” set to the musical composition by Bohuslav Martinu from 1950, “Sinfonietta La Jolla.”
Founded in 1948, the NYC Ballet staffs a full orchestra, costume shop, lighting department, production crew and 91 full time dancers. 25 year old, Justin Peck, has been a member of the NYC Ballet since 2007, and was commissioned to choreograph the only new ballet in the 2013 winter season, with only 2 months to prepare.
Justin Peck: “My whole process of choreography is based on the music exposing the details, the complexities, and the textures of the orchestra.
Observe the elite principal dancers (Sterling Hyltin, Tiler Peck, and Amar Ramasar), practice their:
Pas de Chat’s (‘the step of the cat’ The dancer jumps sideways, and while in mid-air, bends both legs up (two retirés) bringing the feet up as high as possible, with knees apart),
Grand Jete’s (a split in the air),Pas de trois (a dance by three dancers),Passe’s (placing or passing the working foot near the knee of the supporting leg. When passing by the knee, the foot passes from front to back or back to front and then may slide down the supporting leg to the floor or transition into a position such as arabesque or attitude), Arabesque’s (A body position in which a dancer stands on one leg (the supporting leg) with the other leg (the working leg) turned out and extended behind the body, with both legs held straight), and Assemble’s (A jump that lands on two feet).
Two months, two weeks, one week, as the premiere of “Paz de la Jolla” draws closer, the film reflects back on all the hard work and practice rehearsals that it took to lead up to the big night.
How will it be received?
Heavenly!
- 2/2/2015
- by Sharon Abella
- Sydney's Buzz
Ballet 422 Magnolia Pictures Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: B+ Director: Jody Lee Lipes Screenwriter: Jody Lee Lipes Cast: Sterling Hyltin, Justin Peck, Amar Ramasar Screened at: Journalists’ link, NYC, 1/27/15 Opens: February 6, 2015 When I was in charge of a program to get outside speakers and celebs into my high school, I brought in a small group from the New York City Ballet. They performed in the auditorium to recorded music. Some of the seventeen-year-olds in the audience were laughing at them for the usual macho reason, so the more egregious of them were invited up to the stage to the applause [ Read More ]
The post Ballet 422 Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Ballet 422 Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/2/2015
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
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