Summer is suddenly slowing... (10. West Side Story)

  One week from tonight, my Saturday will not feel like today does.  I still have five weekdays of freedom in front of me.  I will have to use them to do a lot of work to go back to the classroom [I wonder who feels more anticipation, the students or the teachers?  Probably the freshmen, who I teach with pride].  And next Saturday I will feel the inevitable anxiety of returning the work.  But, I have some major beauty list things to knock off before then!  When all is said and done, and Labor Day closes this season, I'm okay with not finishing a list, are you?  I almost bought a new face cream called "Perfectionist" from Estee Lauder today and I didn't, merely in principle.  Even if it helped even my skin tone, I don't want to look at that bottle.  Unfinished list=real life=beautiful nonetheless.
  I'll be blogging in this penultimate week of summer to tell you about my encounters with true beauty these last few weeks.
  Here's a quick one:
  My mom, dad, sister and I went to West Side Story at the Cadillac Palace downtown (Chicago) last week.  I LOVE WEST SIDE STORY.  On the way to the show, we saw a cab with the advertisement on it.  I was quite pleased that I was able to snag a photo.  My mom, sister and I had spent a long day wedding dress hunting (we had not so good customer service all day... boo).  So, I think seeing the cab and drinking my McDonald's hazelnut iced coffee pumped me up for some major musical theater.  Let's DO THIS Jets, Sharks I thought.  I hoped the casting and dancing would be splendid.

  And they were, my friends.  I liked the set, I liked the costumes, I liked the casting, I liked the staging, I liked the choreography, I liked the costuming.  Yay!  And, I've always wanted to play the role of Maria.  Listening to this actress sing her part, I realized that ain't gonna happen unless I train again.  You've gotta have some range, girl!  I remembered how easy it is to hurt the audience's ears with that role.  Now, this actress was amaze.  She nailed it.  Her name is Ali Ewoldt and she delighted her listeners with a lilty way of switching up to her head voice that mimicked her way of speaking to create unity.  The actor who played Tony was the understudy, so I don't know his name.  But, his voice was tenor butter.  I loved the choice to transfer a lot of the lyrics to Spanish when the Jets are talking and singing.  This move, originally implemented by the Broadway cast, who brought this staging of the revival to the stage last year, brought authenticity to the hate felt between the two gangs, just like the Montagues and Capulets.  Here's a relatively good review.

  The choreography was reminiscent of the original film's moves, which I especially loved during the end of the school dance scene when it changes into the dreamy and alternate universe meeting of Tony and Maria.  Even though it's my favorite musical, and I also love Romeo and Juliet, I didn't realize the DIRECT parallels to everything Shakespeare wrote. Almost every main character transfers.  Maria=Juliet, Nurse=Anita, Tony=Romeo, Riff=Mercutio, Bernardo=Tybalt, etc.  The only big difference (besides the setting and style) is that Juliet(Maria) doesn't die in WSS.  Also, after teaching R&J the last few years, I even have to say that Shakespeare has met his match in terms of innuendo and double entendre, which the director heartily presented.  I have examples I could share, but this is a family show.   I'm very glad my summer included some good ol' musical theatre in honor of my mom's birthday.  Happy birthday, Mom!  There is beauty in the lovely holiday you can take in the dark magical place that is live theatre.  There is beauty in contemplating a lesson that love is powerful and real, and that hate draws attention to differences that are supposed to be powerful, yes, but not divisive and violent.  Support the arts, por favor...

May you have eyes to see the beauty. --Meg Tess