It has been more than 60 years since the ground-breaking West Side Story revolutionized Broadway with its story of star-crossed lovers and gang warfare in the streets of New York. What could have been a faded relic gets a fresh, exciting perspective in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s season opener of 2019-2020. First off, director Mark Clements has cast the show very young, to better represent the world of high school students (and school drop-outs). The gang members look like kids who are trying to act tough as they find their way in the world. Clements is also to be commended for using actors of color who more closely match the Puerto Rican street gang (the Sharks) and their girlfriends. These two key choices infuse every aspect of this thrilling, memorable production. From the very first meeting between the Jets (white kids) and the Sharks, one senses the allegiances within these groups and the tension they display when confronting each other. Sadly, the political and social current of today’s society, in regards to race, immigration, police brutality, mass shootings, poverty, etc., makes this a chilling and totally relevant story. Even an innocent school dance becomes a chance for the Jets and Sharks to square off. During the dance, the Jets’ leader, Riff (Jacob Burns) arranges a war council with the Sharks (led by Jose-Luis Lopez, Jr. as Bernardo). Both gangs are more than willing to “rumble” for the right to own the same piece of turf in the gritty heart of New York. < P> The dance is also memorable for introducing the two main characters to each other. Tony (Jeffrey Kringer), a delivery boy, is growing out of the need to be surrounded by the Jets. He knows something big is coming his way, although he can’t put his finger on it (“Something’s Coming”). At the dance, he spies a petite girl with long black hair who’s wearing a simple white dress (Liesl Collazo as Maria); the two immediately fall in love. In Clements’ production, the attraction between these two is palpable, even from a distance. Thanks in part to superb sound and lighting cues, the rest of the dance seems to fall away from these two figures. Their love culminates in the magical song, “Maria,” in which Kringer’s powerful voice gets to shine. (If anything, this famous tune becomes more effective as Kringer underplays the word, “Maria.”) Meanwhile, the women, led by Courtney Arango as Anita, deliver a showstopping “America.” Anita displays a toughness that comes from surviving oppressive conditions in both Puerto Rico and the United States. She is also anticipating a sultry, private “mix” with Bernardo once the rumble is finshed (“Tonight”). Arrango is believable all the way through, and by the time she is nearly raped at the end of the show, the audience is incensed enough to forgive her for delivering a message that sets the scene for the show’s tragic ending. There are many opportunities for both male and female actors to participate in myriad dance numbers (although the Jets manage to get the best ones). From the “Prologue” to the “Jet Song” and the unforgettable novelty number, “Gee, Officer Krupke,” the Jets are the ones who have the best chance of showing off their angular, athletic and occasionally balletic dance moves. Jon Rua’s choreography pays homage to the show’s original choreographer, Jerome Robbins, while emphasizing new beats and rhythms in the score by Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim. It is a modern take on a well-known classic, and the effect is sizzling. In addition to the actors already mentioned, effective performances are turned in by Jonathan Wainwright as Lt. Shrank and Bill Watson as Officer Krupke. Although “the law” favors the Jets over the Sharks, Shrank and Krupke hardly provide good options for dealing with their rivals. The only kind-hearted adult is Doc (James Pickering), who laments the toll that violence is taking on the teens. The action plays out on a grimy slice of New York, courtesy of set designer Todd Edward Ivins. Battered columns of red brick fade in and out of the background, which is highlighted by two balconies (actually fire escapes) on either side. Below, a very tall chain link fence becomes a prop for the gang members, as they catapult about the stage. The set is brilliantly illuminated by lighting designer Yael Lubetzky. Music director Dan Kazemi provides a full, rich-sounding score with his orchestra. And finally, costume designer Alexander B. Tecoma makes all the characters seem believable in his beautifully rendered, 1950s-era garments.
