A Classic "West Side Story" at Toby’s Baltimore

SHOW INFORMATION: Through August 24.  Performance schedule varies.  At Toby's Baltimore location at the Best Western Hotel and Conference Center.  Ticket price includes all you can eat buffet dinner, salad bar, dessert and make-your-own-sundae bar, plus free, secure parking.  For information and reservations go to www.tobysdinnertheatre.com or call 1-866-99TOBYS.

◊◊◊◊ out of five.  2 hours, 20 minutes, including intermission.  Stylized violence, fire arm use, strobe and fog effects, racial themes and implied sexuality.

West Side Story, which opened last weekend at Toby's Dinner Theatre of Baltimore, is one of those musicals, I think, that has such a mythology and beloved memories surrounding it, that the public goes in with certain expectations.  Bolstered by an even more successful film adaptation that even its creators admitted was better than their original stage production, the public has come to expect Jerome Robbins' dynamic choreography and an almost epic feel to what is really a small show at its heart.  Not unlike the similarly appointed Grease, producing West Side Story, even 47 years after the film won every major award there is (not to mention 50+ years after its Broadway debut), remains a dicey undertaking.  These days, if you are doing Grease, you are doing the stage version with the movie songs; but these days, if you are doing West Side Story, you are adhering strictly to the mandates of its creative team – no "America" for all the Sharks to sing and dance, no changing the order of "Cool" and "Gee, Officer Krupke" to balance the acts and match the film.  Add to all of that the inherent challenge of Leonard Bernstein's masterpiece score and almost non-stop ballet/jazz/Broadway dancing, and it is a wonder the show gets produced at all any more.  (How next season's "all new vision" of the show effects future productions we'll have to wait and see.)  But produce it Toby's did, and director/choreographer Mark Minnick manages, mostly successfully, to give everyone what they want from the show.

Bucking long-standing Toby's tradition, West Side Story is being done with a pre-recorded orchestral score.  I suppose this is a catch-22 for Toby and company, because a live orchestra is one of the things that sets her shows apart from similar venues.  But here, I think the show benefits from the recording.  First, there is no way a 7 or 8 piece band could do justice to the music, solved here by a fully appointed orchestra.  Second, considering the sheer volume and complexity of the choreography, it probably saved the company weeks of rehearsal time having the real thing every time.  Of course, there are potential pitfalls to pre-recorded music.  It never adjusts to the performance, allowing no room for error, extra dramatic, in-the-moment feeling or any unforeseen mishap with scenery or costume changes.  (There was no such moment opening night.)  Then again, the possibility of an actress being so into a scene that she needs a moment to gather herself, or an extra long passionate kiss, is gone – that extra level of spontaneity no longer possible.  Still, I'd rather that than a thin sound from the pit, or more likely a squeaky violin or two.

Perhaps the biggest drawback to this particular recording is the breakneck speed of the score, the effect of which is also good and bad.  Knowing they have mere seconds between song cues, the actors are delivering their lines with an unusual (and welcome in this case) amount of intensity.  Everything is at a fever pitch, much like the lives of the unfortunate youths at the center of the story.  They frequently talk over each other, and the rapid fire delivery of such gems as "Pow!  Pow! Crack-jacko!  Down goes another teenage hoodlum!" gets lost, not in the now quaintness of the line, but in the fury of pent up frustration.  Other lines, "I and Velma ain't dumb!" for example, lose some of their ironic bite.  Still, we could all do with a little less irony in exchange for some pulse-racing intensity in a story we all know.  In the balance, it is a good trade off dramatically.  Musically, that breakneck speed is somewhat less ideal.  While it works for the empowering "Jet Song" – though I am amazed Riff didn't pass out from lack of oxygen – it is significantly less successful in Tony's first solo, the theme setting "Something's Coming" which is so fast some of it is unintelligible, and allows for zero thought and contemplation, and even less impending excitement at an unknown possibility.  I give Matthew Schleigh, an ideally cast Tony, much credit for carefully choosing places to breathe, but he was really pushing it opening night, which does not bode well for future weeks.  One hopes vocal director Cedric Lyles will help Mr. Schleigh and several others in the cast to conserve their voices – five or six times a week at that pace could do damage.

Again, in the balance, I think director Mark Minnick has made some very wise choices given what he has to work with.  That intensity makes act one fly by, and the tension in the room is exciting and palpable.  It is also very interesting that Mr. Minnick pays almost slavish homage to the film in act one, giving theatergoers so inclined the stage version of the film wherever he can.  To make the literal interpretation of Jerome Robbins' choreography fit the exponentially smaller Toby's stage is no small feat, and Minnick has made it work.  Lovers of "the Prologue", the "Dance at the Gym" and "Cool," for example, will be pleased to see the dancing they loved from the film nearly intact.  (Spare me the letters, readers, I will be glad to go frame by frame of "Cool", for example, and compare it to what is onstage.)  And still, even with the signature moves in place, the rearrangement of the dancers to fit and amplify the stage makes it remarkably fresh.  And for theatergoers who like their West Side Story more stagey and less filmy, Mr. Minnick has crafted an amazingly beautiful, poignant act two that fairly screams out "this is original staging!"  And boy, does it work!  It is like seeing a wrapped up bicycle at Christmas – you know what it is by the shape of the package, but what it looks like under the wrapping can be a complete surprise.  Case in point – "Gee, Officer Krupke!"  We know the tune, we know the zany multi-personality of it, but we are delighted by the fresh take each Jet has on each line of this comic gem, including using Anybodys, the charming and riveting Rachel Schur.   And so, director Mark Minnick has done what is required: he has given those who like a traditional West Side Story what they want, while adding his own stamp to the proceedings.

His design team has done much the same, blending harsh realism (the grungy tenement buildings) with a refreshing stylistic approach (the multi-purpose and somewhat ominous fence which dominates the center of the stage) in the set (designed by David A. Hopkins).  The lighting, also by Mr. Hopkins, is similarly realistic and stylized.  Samn Huffer's costumes are perhaps the only strictly traditional element here – drab hues for the Jets, colorful tropical themed outfits for the Sharks.

Just how well does the cast of actor/singer/dancers hold up to the demands of a show which requires everyone involved to be a triple threat?  Mostly, they are excellent.  The four "adult roles" are split among two Toby's regulars, with David Bosley-Reynolds taking on the bigoted Lieutenant Schrank and Glad Hand, the naïve uber-geek who promotes unity at the Dance at the Gym, and Robert Beidermann taking on the somewhat dim Officer Krupke and the endearingly wise Doc.  The extremes of each character paring is somewhat jarring to watch, even if the point of that casting is subliminal at best.

The relatively underused Sharks are, to a person, fiery and passionate without stooping to stereotypes.  The Shark girls – Marylee Adams, Noelle Collison, Katie Keyser (a nice standout in "America"), Jesse Palmer and Ashley Parker – are sweet singers and much fun to watch throughout, particularly in "America" and "I Feel Pretty."  The Sharks – Brandon Ambrosino, Frank Anthony and Bryan Daniels – are excellent dancers, and seem to feed on that aforementioned intensity.  As second in command Chino, David Gregory is both charming and lethal, what with his act two murderous rampage.  As Anita, Tina Marie DeSimone wears the role like fine silk pantyhose, with a racy delivery, smoldering sexuality and a shocking flexibility of leg.  Both she and her Bernardo, Darren McDonnell, may at first seem a bit long in the tooth for their roles, but one need look no farther than the beloved film for reference – George Chakiris and Rita Moreno both looked significantly older than the rest of the Sharks.  Mr. McDonnell might do well, though, to lose the lounge act emcee cadence to his delivery – he sounds like the Hispanic version of his role in La Cage aux Folles.  What worked there most certainly does not here – nothing Bernardo says should elicit the giggles heard around my table every time he opened his mouth to speak.  That said, he is a superb dancer and is vicious and unrelenting in "The Rumble. "

The much more seen and heard Jets are uniformly well-cast here.  Jake Odmark makes a stellar return to Toby's as Riff, leader of that gang.  His boyish looks coupled with a brute manliness are exactly what is called for in a character who is a boy by year and a man by sad circumstance.  His performance is especially remarkable when juxtaposing his two big numbers, the in-your-face "Jet Song" and his icy delivery of "Cool."  I wish Mr. Odmark did more shows in this area.  James Biernatowski, in SHARP contrast to his role in La Cage, is a frenzy of youthful abandon and rage as Diesel, and Patrick Cragin's Action is scary as you see his pent-up rage boiling under a very delicate surface.  And he is a good comic in the Krupke number as well.  Jamison Foreman (as A-Rab) and Corey Hummerston (as Baby John) round out the gang, both with unique interpretations of their character roles.  Again, I can't say enough in praise of Rachel Schur's Anybodys, which is wonderful for its careful balance between tomboy and neediness, all rolled into a young woman who wants to be a part of the world she lives in, not just an observer.  That Ms. Schur does all of that while still holding onto a distinct femininity is a credit to this fine new addition to the Toby's family.

No matter how good the supporting cast or the direction or the dancing, West Side Story is nothing without the perfect paring of its Tony and Maria, and this production scores with both actors.  Matthew Schleigh, as I said earlier, is the ideal Tony.  He is boyish and mature at the same time.  His all-American looks makes the ladies swoon, and he is more than convincing in a fight.  He is also a gifted vocalist (breathing/pushing issues in "Something's Coming" aside) and his solos soar, and his duets will melt your heart.  His performance really comes to life, though, the moment he lays his eyes on his Maria, the lovely Jessica Ball.  As Ms. Ball works her way through the significant roles of the Broadway stage (she was brilliant in re-inventing the role of Maria in The Sound of Music), we here in Baltimore are so profoundly privileged to witness her work before the Great White Way takes her from us (I give it a year or less).  Much like she did in The Sound of Music, Ms. Ball creates a Maria here that is almost completely unique – equal parts naïve girl, restless teenager, and, sadly, jaded adult facing the cruel realities of life.  She, of course, sings like an angel, so it goes without saying how magnificent her interpretations of "Tonight," "One Hand, One Heart," and "I Have a Love" are.  However, it is her superb line readings that carry her performance into the stratosphere.  No one, including Natalie Wood and Carol Lawrence has delivered the "Killer!  Killer!  Killer!" and "I can kill now because I hate now" lines with such emotion and truthfulness.  She will break your heart with her sobs.  And together, Mr. Schleigh and Ms. Ball are musical theatre heaven.

With something for everyone, this West Side Story is sure to please.  You will leave moved. 

PHOTOS by Kirstine Christiansen.  TOP to BOTTOM: The Jets; The Prologue; The Sharks; Bernardo (Darren McDonnell) and Riff (Jake Odmark) at The Rumble; Action (Patrick Cragin) and Riff (Jake Odmark); Tony (Matthew Schleigh) and Maria (Jessica Ball); The Finale (The Company).

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