Shows I've Seen Review : West Side Story

Back in 8th grade I was shown the film version of Stephen Sondheim classic " West Side Story", but in 2013 I got to see it live, on a national Broadway tour. As we talked classic musicals, I decided to reminisce and talk about the modern take on Romeo and Juliet.

The plot follows two gangs in New York, the Jets and the Sharks are two gangs at war to control the city, some born and raised there, others from Cuba. When Tony and Maria, one from each side fall in love, they have to find a way to keep their relationship among the warring factions, whole remaining loyal to their friends and family.

This show is a drama and has many twists and turns and it's fair share of heavy moments, there are a couple songs meant to lighten to mood and show that the characters are still young and can't be serious all the time, but this show for the most part is a drama. It is very well written and the characters are complicated and three dimensional, I was invested the whole time, this musical is more suited for older audiences due to the heavier dramatic moments and some of the complex them on race and such .

The music is nothing short of amazing, Sondheim is a musical genius and this is no exception, all the songs are memorable and set the mood perfectly, the choreography must been seen at least once, whether on video, live, or in concert as a tribute. Each dance its energetic or slower to perfectly match the brilliant music, this shows choreography is a great reason alone to see the show, the music, singing, and story added together make this piece timeless. Here are some of my favorite songs, and these songs are the 2013 Broadway revival version for reference.

Something's Coming

Tonight ( Duet)

Cool

America

Tonight ( Quintet) 

Some Where

I Feel Pretty

A Boy Like That/I Have a Love

If you are looking for a good drama I recommend this classic, there is a pretty accurate classic movie, but the stage version does contain more, and the 2013 Broadway cast is the soundtrack I listen to the most and recommend, and catch a tour if you can, if you enjoy the show. Thanks for reading and until next time, I hope your day is a showstopper