Laurents Talks Theatre And Life To The Guardian

Theatre legend Arthur Laurents, currently represented on Broadway as both the Librettist and Director of the revival of WEST SIDE STORY, discusses his long-time partnership, new play and career with The Guardian.

In the feature, Laurents, age 93, laments what he refers to as irrelevance on the part of creators when crafting a Broadway musical.

Laurents mentions Kiss Me Kate as an example. "They sing 'It's Too Darn Hot' and then dance around for 32 choruses. Of course it brings the house down, but it doesn't make sense to me". He adds, "Everyone in the theatre wants to do a musical. There's a glamour. What could be more theatrical than a musical, and besides look at all the money I'm going to make! Except they flop like pancakes. But there is an excitement about it. Nobody stops to think two things: it's a craft, and it's very, very hard."

Laurents shares that, when the smash-hit WICKED was being developed, the producers came to him for his advice. Laurents told them they did not know what their show was about. According to Laurents, "They said, yes, it's about Oz. I said no it isn't. I said it's about the friendship of two girls. I said start tracking that. That whole thing made the show an enormous success."

To read the entire Guardian feature, click here.

Mr. Laurents is the prize-winning author of musical plays such as West Side Story, Gypsy, Anyone Can Whistle, Do I Hear A Waltz?, Hallelujah Baby!, and Nick & Nora; and screenplays such as The Snake Pit, Rope, Caught, Anastasia, Bonjour Tristesse, The Way We Were, and The Turning Point. His plays include Home of the Brave, The Time of the Cuckoo, A Clearing in the Woods, Invitation to a March, The Enclave, Big Potato, Two Lives, The Radical Mystique, My Good Name, Claudia Lazlo, Attacks on the Heart, and Jolson Sings Again. He has directed plays and musicals for the theater, among them I Can Get It For You Wholesale, Invitation to a March, Anyone Can Whistle, The Enclave, The Madwoman of Central Park West, Birds of Paradise, three revivals of Gypsy (Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Patti LuPone) and La Cage aux Folles (1984). He is currently directing West Side Story opening on Broadway at the Palace Theatre March 19, 2009. His newest play, New Year's Eve, starts life at his favorite theater, the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ in April. He is the author of a memoir, Original Story By. His new book, Mainly On Directing Gypsy, West Side Story, and Other Musicals was published earlier this year.

More than fifty years ago, a show about New York City changed musical theatre forever. Now, its come home to make history once again.

From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Arthur Laurents' book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim - a collection of standards that includes "Tonight," "America," "Maria," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere" - is widely regarded as one of the best ever written. And the extraordinary, Tony-winning choreography by Jerome Robbins completely changed the language of Broadway dance.

This groundbreaking new production, directed by the legendary Mr. Laurents, offers a bold new design that builds on the show's raw power and emotion to create a fresh experience unlike any that came before it. Don't miss this thrilling presentation of a matchless work of art.

WEST SIDE STORY was nominated for 4 2009 Tony Awards®, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actress (Josefina Scaglione), Best Featured Actress (Karen Olivo), and Best Lighting Design (Howell Binkley)!

Karen Olivo (Anita) won the Tony Award this year for "Best Performance by a Featured Actress."

The cast of 46 stars Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as "Tony," Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as "Anita," Cody Green (Movin' Out) as "Riff" and George Akram (The Farrelly's Stuck on You) as "Bernardo." The role of "Maria" is played by Broadway newcomer Josefina Scaglione. The 21 year old actress comes directly, by special arrangement with Actors' EquityAssociation, from Buenos Aires after an exhaustive international search for the role. WEST SIDE STORY also features Steve Bassett as "Lt. Schrank," Mike Cannon as "Snowboy," Kyle Coffmanas "A-Rab," Joey Haro as "Chino," Eric Hatch as "Big Deal," Curtis Holbrook as "Action," Michael Mastro as "Glad Hand," Lee Sellars as "Krupke," Tro Shaw as "Anybodys," Ryan Steele as "Baby John" and Greg Vinkler as "Doc" along with Nicholas Barasch, Kyle Brenn, Joshua Buscher, Isaac Calpito, Haley Carlucci, Peter Chursin, Madeline Cintron, Lindsay Dunn, Yurel Echezarreta, John Arthur Greene, Manuel Herrera, Matthew Hydzik, Marina Lazzaretto, Chase Madigan, Yanira Marin, Mileyka Mateo, Kaitlin Mesh, Angelina Mullins, Kat Nejat, Christian Elán Ortiz, Pamela Otterson, Danielle Polanco, Sam Rogers, Michael Rosen, Amy Ryerson, Jennifer Sanchez, Manuel Santos, Michaeljon Slinger, Tanairi Sade Vazquez and Mark Zimmerman.

Directed by multiple Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents, with the original Jerome Robbins choreography restaged by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life), WEST SIDE STORY features scenic designs by James Youmans (Gypsy), costumes by Tony Award nominee David C. Woolard (The Farnsworth Invention, The Who's Tommy), lighting by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Gypsy, Jersey Boys), hair by Mark Adam Rampmeyer (The Farnsworth Invention) and sound design by Tony Award nominee Dan Moses Schreier (Gypsy, A Catered Affair). The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

WEST SIDE STORY is produced by Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, Jeffrey Seller withTerry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Roy Furman / Jill Furman Willis, Freddy DeMann, Robyn Goodman / Walt Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller, The Weinstein Company and Broadway Across America.

Tickets for West Side Story at Broadway's Palace Theatre are currently on sale at www.tickemaster.com, by calling 212-307-4100 or visiting the Palace Theatre box office. The playing schedule is as follows: Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday - Saturday at 8 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $121.50 - 46.50.

For more information, visit www.broadwaywestsidestory.com.