I've watched a fair amount of classic movie musicals in the past few months. One thing that they all make clear is that musical theater choreography (for the most part) just ain't what it used to be. Most shows these days seem to forgo any sense of storytelling, or intricate musicality for that matter and go for crowd pleasing pizazz instead.
Jerome Robbins was a master, that's no secret. Perhaps my favorite of all of the work I've seen of his is the opening scene of "West Side Story" which is pure genius. I love how slowly it builds, and how individual each of the dancers is. They each invest their own personality into the dancing, and it therefore starts to tell a story, rather than becoming a kick-line. If only gangs in real life were like this, I'd fit right in. For some reason there are subtitles on this version, so get ready to read a lot of "Jets! Jets! Jets! Chico!!!" for the next eight minutes.
I'd totally be a Shark!
Who fights like that really? But the genius of Robbins is that the fighting is aesthetically pleasing, like an angry pas de deux, but still is not laughable. Almost believable....and of course, Bernstein's brilliant music only magnifies the theatricality of it all by 100 fold.
Posted by: jennifer | December 08, 2007 at 06:34 PM
I could (and have) watch all the dance scenes in this movie over and over into infinity. There has never been a musical with better music or better choreography, and the marriage of the two in this case is just beyond. West Side Story is the the highest peak the musical as a genre/format will ever reach in my opinion.
Though I do LOVE me some Fosse as well.
Posted by: Tania | December 08, 2007 at 07:29 PM
My favorite musical EVER! And how cute is the very young Elliot Feld?
Posted by: Barbara | December 09, 2007 at 11:58 AM
It's funny that you posted this because I was just thinking of it, having just seen AAADT's revival of The Road of the Phoebe Snow, which reminded me so much of this. It was excellent by the way! When you get back to NY, go see Ailey's revival!
Posted by: Tonya | December 09, 2007 at 03:32 PM
Definitely one of my favorite movies...I especially love Russ Tamblyn (he's great in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers too). One of my favorite NYC moments was seeing West Side Story at the Ziegfeld Theatre.
Posted by: Ashleigh | December 09, 2007 at 07:28 PM