West Side Story

Cathy, stop reading here until you've seen the play. Everyone else, read at your own risk (as with everything else on this blog.)

Went to see West Side Story tonight with Diana DeGarmo (sp?) of American Idol fame. The sets were well done, and very creative. They helped the play move fluidly from one scene to the next without thinking, "Hey, they could have done that a lot more smoothly." They were very convincing, and apparently very sturdy - there were a couple of times that actors jumped up on something that I thought would have collapsed under their weight, but they remained rock steady.

By now you've probably figured the play wasn't all that great since I started the blog with the scenery. You'd be correct. The first half was very amateurish - my high school could have done better, and Diana DeGarmo as a young girl fresh from Puerto Rico was less than convincing - she couldn't even maintain the bad imitation accent throughout. I wasn't sure if I would return from intermission, but return I did. The second half was a little better. Maybe the director laid into them during the intermission. Who knows. In any case, it was a little less painful.

All in all, I was somewhat disappointed. I've waited my entire life to see the much acclaimed West Side Story only to be let down. Not only was I disappointed in the acting, but the ending totally stunk. I can't believe there wasn't a feel good ending, no happy reunion, no peace found amongst the gangs, no sunset to walk off into, just another "funeral". I can't believe nobody ever told me that. Yes, the sky in my world is often tinged by rose colored glasses, and I like it that way.