Bucks County Playhouse tells a ‘West Side Story.’
By: Stuart Duncan
The current production of West Side Story at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pa., is likely to be the finest staging of the Leonard Bernstein musical you have seen. And that includes opening night on Broadway in September of 1957, when Carol Lawrence took her curtain calls with tears streaming down her face and the critics rose to their feet to welcome a new theater star.
Some rose reluctantly for, in truth, the notices were not unanimously favorable. Some objected to the Romeo and Juliet story being turned over to gang warfare, racial conflicts and violence. Perhaps The New York Times critic Brooks Atkinson summed it up best: "Although the material is horrifying, the workmanship is admirable."
But young audiences loved it and now, half a century later, it has become the musical by which modern musicals are measured. The tunes that the Broadway naysayers found cloyingly sentimental have become the most popular.
The Bucks production has three distinctly huge attributes. Number one is the show itself with its finger-snapping, crouching, lurching and leaping choreography still as exciting today as it was to audiences 50 years ago. Number two is director Michael Licata, who shows up in New Hope every so often during the summer and for the past 10 years has directed a show or two each summer. He really knows the material, possibly because while he was in the Army, he played the pivotal role of Bernardo.
Number three is a young 18-year-old from Oklahoma, missing her high school graduation to play the role of Maria. Her name is Alisa Pettigrove and her pure talent will leave you gasping. And yes, she can act as well and one quick look at the program cover will convince you that she is pretty enough to stop hearts. But it is her lovely voice that tops everything.
And she gets plenty of help. Patrick Ludt, who plays Tony, surpasses any of the fine portrayals he has been laying down the past several seasons. His voice is stronger than ever and he has developed a strong stage presence that is most appealing. Jordan Brennan, who cut his baby teeth on the Bucks stage, is outstanding as Bernardo, with a delicious swagger to boot. And Jill Palena, who likewise has been in New Hope for many summers (and is finally into her 20s), is a knockout as Anita.
But that’s not all Louis Palena’s choreography borrows from both stage and screen, and the company of 31 executes with precision that had the opening night audience at Bucks cheering. Linda Bee-Stockton’s costumes are spot-on and Peter Martino’s set design is a delightful combination of old and new. Even the sound is better than usual testimony to the fact that director Licata insisted that the tracks be blended with actual orchestral effects.
You may already know the history of the musical how it was originally title East Side Story, was focused on a Jewish girl and a Catholic boy. A sort of Abie’s Irish Rose in reverse. But the creators moved from the East Side to the West Side and now, 50 years later, it is fresher than ever. Don’t miss it!
West Side Story continues at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St., New Hope, through June 10. Performances: Wed. 2, 8 p.m., Thurs.-Fri. 8 p.m. (additional 2 p.m. show June 7), Sat. 4, 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Tickets cost $23-$24, $17-$19 military/seniors/students; (215) 862-2041; www.buckscountyplayhouse.com