West Side Story

[samvara]

I had tickets that were a birthday present from back in June and had forgotten they existed - it was like getting a present twice!

It turns out West Side Story is a sort of racist Romeo and Juliet with a bonus gang rape scene - it was a bit confronting. I went in with no expectations and I'm glad I had a chance to tick another musical off my list. The music and dancing was great and I loved Anita. I choose to live in a world where she then went on to become Batwoman. If there's good fic out there I'd love to hear about it *hints*

Comments

[lemmings]

Hmm. I have never seen Westside Story but I would like a summary. Rape? Gang rape?

[samvara]

Two warring gangs, the Jets (white hooligans) and the Sharks (Puerto Rican) fight for turf led by Riff and Bernardo. They decide to 'rumble' and Tony, a Jet trying to find a better life falls in love with Bernardo's sister Maria.

Tony goes to the rumble to stop it on Maria's urging but after Bernardo stabs and kills Riff, Tony does the same to Bernardo. Horrified he flees to Maria and confesses what he has done. They agree to flee together and meet at the drug store later that night.

Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend tries to talk Maria out of it but Maria is steadfast and when the police come to question Maria, Anita goes to tell Tony that Maria will be late.

Anita is stopped by the Sharks before she can pass on the message, and terrified that she is looking for Tony in order for the Sharks to kill him, they freak out and rape her (WTF?). The drug store owner intervenes too late and she angrily tells them that Maria is dead, shot by Chino, a jealous Shark who found out about Maria and Tony.

Tony runs out into the street shouting for Chino to find him and kill him and Chino obliges. Maria arrives to say goodbye then everyone gathers to witness her grief and the show ends with the Jets carrying Tony off stage with a couple of subdued Sharks helping.

The white boys got most of the scenes and the solos and seriously, of all the underprivileged classes represented they were not the people whose story I was interested in seeing told.

[lemmings]

Oh wow. That basically sounds like a musical version of Romeo and Juilet with a rape scene. Recommended?

[samvara]

Yeah, further reading informed me it was based on Romeo and Juliet.

Recommended? Erm. This is a hard one, the singing and dancing was good and I enjoyed that. I wouldn't watch it again, nor would I see another West Side Story related production again unless it was specifically pimped to me because it was a remix that resolved the race/gender issues.

I'm glad I saw it, but more because now I know rather than having gotten anything uplifting, new or interesting out of the story.

Your call!