By Dallon Thorup
I’ve never seen West Side Story live, so for me this seeing The Ziegfeld was a very thrilling moment. The Ziegfeld is a very nice little theatre in South Ogden with a very professional feel to it. The fresh smell of popcorn, the fountain drinks, the candy, the crowd entering into the theatre through the double doors on either side of the stage; I’m ready for a show.
For those who are unfamiliar with this show, it is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet saga, though it is between White folks (in a gang called the Sharks) versus Puerto Ricans (in the Jets gang), set in New York City. Spoiler: it ends the same as the Shakespeare play.
Set Designer Caleb Parry has created a breathtaking set: scaffolding in front of a city apartment building on each side of the stage at the start of the show. Visually I’m already blown away by this production and it hasn’t even started. The atmosphere for the show was definitely there.
Act One had very memorable dance numbers, choreographed by the talented Talese Hunt, in particular, “Mambo” and “America.” Bernardo, Riff and Anita could have danced for two and a half hours and I would have been tremendously satisfied. All of the dancing in the show was phenomenal. When Tony and Maria met at The Dance it was magical. They never broke eye contact. She adored Tony. The iconic dance from the movie was kept and it was perfectly executed.
Tony (Tyler Brignone) had great chemistry with Riff. He felt like the boy next door and his acting was spot on. His scenes with Maria were electric. Maria (Brittany Shamy) was spectacular. The drive up to Ogden is worth it ONLY to see her if that’s all you decide to go for. She is the perfect Maria. John Peterson’s Riff had some of the best singing and dancing in this show. He seemed confident in all of his choices. He knows how to command a stage. Bernardo (Jamie Fuentes) was so perfectly cast! He was a natural leader on stage and commanded it when he needed it. His chemistry with Anita was so sexually charged and natural, it felt like they were a real couple. Anita (Ashley Carlson) stole the show for me. This woman gets onstage and never loses focus. She was Anita from beginning to end. Flawless. A dancing queen for this show. This production would have not been the same without her.
Act One was all about the flare, the pizzazz, the showmanship. The all-round tapping your toes and having fun. However, even with the high spirits, you know something’s going to happen. Something rather disastrous.
Act Two is where it got serious and all the actors had to show their acting chops.
The opening sequence of “I Feel Pretty “was lighthearted and fun, followed by a gorgeous version of “Somewhere.” I don’t want to spill the beans on why it was so gorgeous, but it gave me chills and I noticed several people sniffling and wiping their eyes, like I was.
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After “Action”‘s show-stealing performance in which Gee, Officer Krupkee (played by Joshua Samuel Robinson) the waterworks began. Ashley Carlson and Brittany Shamy brought a lot of realness to the stage. Bravo to these beautifully talented ladies.
The ensemble blew me away. The Sharks were very good at keeping the story going. The Jets were gorgeous felt like a real tight unit. Great chemistry on stage. Joshua Samuel Robinson was the strongest male performer onstage. He was my favorite male character in the show. So honest and believable.
The only downside to this production was the sound system. A lot of the time it seemed like the microphones were not on, the monitors were not working, or the sound in general just disappeared. However, it wasn’t distracting enough to pull me away from the show. Talese Hunt choreographed some amazing dance routines. Rick Rea really got these vocals up to par. Costumer Michael Nielsen did a fine job. The costumes were wonderful. Everyone complimented each other on stage. It was modern but it worked so well. Anita and Maria had the most beautiful dresses. Director Morgan Parry has crafted a tragically beautiful interpretation of West Side Story.
West Side Story at the Zig can not be missed. I drove from Cottonwood Heights to South Ogden to see this and it was more than worth the drive.
WEST SIDE STORY
THE ZIEGFELD THEATRE
June 5th – June 27th at 7:30pm FRIDAY / SATURDAY ONLY
PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT www.zigarts.com OR CALL 855-ZIG-ARTS
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