Something's Coming, Something Good

Back to the Royal Exchange for the 2nd time in just a few months (after The Producers in January) - not normal, but I'm loving it, just shows the level of work they're doing! This is for one of the most anticipated productions of the year (well, for me anyway). One that Anne Treneman has been highlighting in the Sunday times every week for the past month, and one that has pretty much clogged up my Twitter feed - every other tweet it seems is a fab review of the show that the Royal Exchange has either liked, commented on or re-tweeted, so props must go for whoever's in charge of social media at the Royal Exchange - it is certainly getting the whole theatre community and the city of Manchester talking about it....

This week, I saw West Side Story - for the first time on stage!

It of course has been one I have known for a long time, as along with Les Mis it was one of my A Level music case studies. This classic masterpiece by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Jerome Robbins' masterpiece is considered possibly THE best musical of ALL TIME! it opened on Broadway in 1957 (amazingly being snubbed for Best Musical Tony the following year for The Music Man), and its film version in 1961 bagged a whopping 10 Oscars!! Sondheim is also currently working on a remake with Stephen Spielberg!

Set in 1950s Manhattan, it is based off Romeo and Juliet; but instead of the rival families Montague and Capulet, it is rival gangs on NYC's streets - the white American Jets vs the Puerto Rican Sharks. At a dance the two rival gangs attend, Jet Tony, and Maria, the sister of the Sharks leader, meet: and, as they say, the rest is history.

The last WSS related thing I talked about was the Prom version last year, which I was unfortunately disappointed by. This version fared so much better!

This is the first major production, certainly in the UK, to NOT feature Robbins' legendary original choreography; in fact, choreographer Aletta Collins was right in saying that the space almost FORCED her to do it. Hers still keeps the spirit of Robbins, but it remains fresh, dynamic and energetic. This particularly applies to the bigger dance numbers, such as Dance At The Gym, The Rumble, and Gee Office Krupke. Collins has had a history of adapting ironic choreography for the Royal Exchange, having also done Sweet Charity there a couple of years ago - if she can adapt this legendary work into something fresh for 2019, personally, I think she can do anything.

Director Sarah Frankcom and her team must not just been given props to the technical side, but also for getting such an incredible cast together - they were on FI-YAH!!!!!

Starting off, I need to talk about the two ladies of the show: Gabriela Garcia as Maria and Jocasta Almgill as Anita. I saw both of them in In The Heights a few years ago - both understudying (Nina and Daniella respectively), and they were two of the best things about that show (in an incredible show END OF!! Speaking of ITH, please adapt it at The Royal Exchange, it is the PERFECT space!!). I digress. Garcia had the sweetest voice, one that made Maria SOUND as young as she was, and Almgill was the QUEEN of sass! She was truly on FI-YAH (in fact, I put that on my Insta Story and she replied to it!)

Rounding out the girls, I'd like to give a shout to Emily Langham as Anybodys; a young girl desperate to be a real Jet but the guys will not give her the time of day. She also has the honour of starting the anthem Somewhere, a crie du Coeur from not just Maria and Tony, but for all the characters who all just want peace.

The Romeo to Maria's Juliet, Tony, was played by Andy Coxon - and holy crap does he have a gorgeous voice! From his first entrance and his first lines in Somethings Coming, you were behind him all the way. He and Garcia had genuine chemistry, he was tough but there was also a real sweetness and gentleness to him, and his Maria was (dare I say it) the best I've ever heard. He's one to watch!

Anna Fleischle did the set, and it is very much like the thoughts of the Jets and the Sharks towards each other: black and white. You were either one of the other. Part of a zebra crossing became a bench, different levels were used, so it didn't matter whether you were sitting in the stalls, or the 2nd gallery like I was - and she made the iconic balcony (in this case, fire escape) scene, into something that worked in a 360 degree space like this.

It's not got long left in the run I believe, and it may be hard, but try your upmost to get a ticket! I nearly didn't get mine because it was so well sold, but TRY - if not, don't panic, it is actually coming back next year to the Royal Exchange due to phenomenal demand; as it should! Believe the hype. This is just as dynamic, energetic, emotional and timely as ever.
There's nothing else to say other than MAMBO, MAMBO, GO!!!!