West Side Story

West Side Story is an iconic musical, it is as well known for its strong dancing side as its score, the storyline itself is a take on Romeo and Juliet. It is a huge show to undertake and Hyde Musical Society took it on and made it their own.

The set looked fabulous, lots of scaffolding creating different levels and platforms that the cast used throughout the show. On either side of the proscenium areas were created to represent an inner part of Doc's store and Anita's bedroom, by utilising these areas it allowed for a more intimate feel to the dialogue performed there. Chairs, boxes, a bed and  two tailor's dummies were also used that were pertinent to the plot. Lighting throughout was moody and perfect for the scenes, I particularly liked the way the stage was lit as the audience entered the auditorium. Some haze was used for the "Nightmare"/ballet scene - personally I would have liked it to have been started a little sooner to create a bit more atmosphere but I do fully comprehend that haze and haze machines can have a mind of their own and can be more than a little bit temperamental and unpredictable- they haze never lies exactly where you want it to every time. 
The orchestra in the very capable hands of Musical Director Dave Chapman sounded incredible, it is quite a fast paced full score with lots of light and shade, suspense and drama within the notes and harmonies being played and sung. The orchestra and MD at Hyde Festival Theatre are above the cast in another room right above and slightly behind the audience and so are not really seen, there is a monitor screen for the performers on stage to follow but I did hear at least once where the full ensemble were slightly racing the music - this could be put down to the split second difference between the notes being played and them being heard through the stage speakers, it was soon rectified.

The show was choreographed by Simon Fitzpatrick, it was big and bold, innovative and fresh with some great elements and wow moments - I loved a lot of it but I did find one particular move ( side leg lift) a little repetitive and I personally found myself wanting to see more extension and energy in that particular move. I do however accept that it was not a stage full of professional dancers and am perhaps being a little picky. "Cool" was well thought out and executed, the stage was filled with movement and drama. I also enjoyed the dance aspect of the Nightmare/ballet scene , the lifts were executed carefully  and gracefully . A standout number for me in the show was "Gee, Officer Krupke" performed by The Jets , vocals were spot on, diction fabulous, delivery and timing excellent, use of the stage space and facial expressions was perfect. It was a true, solid performance- Well Done!
The chemistry between Tony ( Matthew McGoldrick) and Maria ( Kat Rawling) was touching, dialogue and pace was good, they both delivered some pleasant vocals and were very confident in their characterisations however Maria's top register sounded a little quiet even with the aid of a body mic . Alison Baines as Anita gave us a fabulous, full bodied characterisation and performance, her vocals were stellar and landed exactly where they should, she was empathetic with Maria and she really showed us her vocal chops in "A Boy Like That". Her chemistry with the smouldering Bernardo (Kit Philips) was electric. Kit showed us both sides of Bernardo's character - his haughty arrogance and his love for both Anita and his little sister Maria. He was Beyoncé fierce and intense on stage, "The Rumble" fight scene was choreographed and delivered beautifully by all involved, there was heightened tension, drama, anger, anticipation and fear portrayed which spilled off the stage into the audience. All The Jets Boys were strong and all made their characters stand out well, Stephen Cheeseman (Action) was like a caged tiger! Anybody's ( Maddison Lees) gave some great face, a lot of her dialogue was played from the back or middle of the stage but she had good presence and was never lost within the general melee.

The Sharks Girls gave a very spirited performance of "America ", dresses were swishing and legs were high kicking along with the whoops and tongue clacking. West Side Story is a very physically demanding show for both the ensemble and the Principals , it is so fast moving and intense, I saw a team working together on the stage all striving for a high energy performance.

Tony George as "Doc" came into his own in the second half , when the mild mannered shop keeper looses his cool and shouts you could have heard a pin drop. His delivery and timing were phenomenal, his raw emotion showing his exasperation at the futility of all the fighting touched everyone in the audience. It's always difficult at the end of West Side Story for the audience to know how to react, the end is so abrupt and we have been taken on such an emotional rollercoaster- I always take the stunned silence as a good sign . Well Done Hyde Musical Society on an incredible production.

Thank you for your hospitality, I look forward to seeing you all again very soon. 

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