http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/West-Side-Story-2013
The premiere in 1957 shocked audiences. As a child I was given a Princess ballet book every Christmas for a few years (!! I saw one in Oxfam recently and was tempted to buy it, it brought so many familiar images flooding back) and can remember the year West Side Story was featured alongside the tutus and swans, and the images of young men in jeans leaping through the streets of New York seared themselves on my memory. At about the same time our neighbour lent us the vinyl of the soundtrack, which I found mind-blowing. In an era of Pat Boone, Lonnie Donegan and Matt Monroe, it was more discordant than anything I'd ever heard. I loved it.
Of course since then we've had P J Proby singing Somewhere in dangerously tight trousers, and Keith Emerson's classical rock version of America, to name just one, plus the movie and many touring versions, one of which I saw a few years ago, and still loved. Watching the movie now,one thing that stands out is the vividness of its colour palette.
The story was originally going to be East Side Story, and had several holdups as it was seen as too depressing for producers to invest in it.
Of course the sorry story of the Jets and Sharks is based on the Montagues and Capulets of Romeo and Juliet, and it just so happens the third film version of the Shakespeare play is out this year, with a script by Downton's Julian Fellowes; Hailee Steinfeld, who shot to fame in the 2010 True Grit, plays Juliet; and Douglas Booth, previously in Great Expectations (2012), is Romeo. Filmed in Italy, it is supposedly closer to the Franco Zeffirelli 1968 adaptation, rather than Baz Lurhmann's 1996 modern-day version. The earlier film made spotting the different families easier by colour coding - the Capulets wore fiery colours, the Montagues watery blues and purples, as did Juliet also once she married Romeo. And there was an early appearance of Keith Chegwin as a singing minstrel. There's an urban myth that Olivia Hussey was only 15 at the time the film was released, so that she couldn't go to the premiere, whereas she was a year or two older.
However, any controversy concerning the character's age is being avoided in this new film, as lovemaking scenes originally planned for a 20 year old actress were removed from the script once it was decided that 16 year old Hailee would have the role. Who plays Keith Chegwin I'm not sure.....
Meanwhile anyone wishing to see the original play will have to hurry along to The Shed where the National's family friendly production is on until 18th August,
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/jul/29/romeo-and-juliet-review
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