Worthy of a Standing Ovation

West Side Story

Music Theater Works’ production of an American musical classic may be their finest show to date. Director Sasha Gerritson (CAROUSEL, WHITE CHRISTMAS, BRIGADOON at MTW) has beautifully staged and guided WEST SIDE STORY. The production features a truly talented cast of absolutely astounding singers with powerful acting skills and unbelievable dancing prowess. This production definitely gives the audience their money’s worth. Fans who know this show by heart and have seen it dozens of times (or even appeared in it, like yours truly), definitely won’t be disappointed. And for those lucky patrons who are discovering this American classic for the first time, such as the woman sitting next to me, Music Theater Works’ latest production is, without a doubt, well worthy of the standing ovation it receives.

Loosely based upon Shakespeare’s tragedy, ROMEO AND JULIET, the musical was considered controversial when it first opened on Broadway in 1957. It was dark and edgy, characters fought and died and it didn’t have the traditional happy ending found in other musical comedies of the day. Moreover, the show was vocally challenging and featured especially demanding choreography. But, because it was so unique, WEST SIDE STORY became an instant hit. The show won Tony Awards for Best Sets and Choreography. Since that year, productions of WEST SIDE STORY have toured, been produced all over the world, revived several times on Broadway, and have become a staple of educational, regional and summer stock theaters. In 1961 the musical was adapted into a very popular, multiple Oscar-winning film. Then, in 2021, another Oscar-winning film adaptation, by Steven Spielberg, gave a new generation their own WEST SIDE STORY.

Just what makes this glorious musical such a classic and so popular with theatergoers of all ages? First and foremost is Leonard Bernstein’s gorgeous music, with poetic lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The score is filled with lush, romantic ballads, such as the beautiful “Maria,” “Tonight,” “Something’s Coming,” “Somewhere” and “One Hand, One Heart.” It also features uptempo, novelty numbers of equal opulence, like 

“I Feel Pretty,” “America” and “Gee, Officer Krupke.” There’s also the 1950’s style, jazz-infused dance numbers of  “The Prologue,” “The Rumble,” “Cool” and “Dance at the Gym.” Played by an impressive, 22-piece orchestra and conducted by Justin Kono, this production sounds much like it did on Broadway. Audiences will find it difficult to resist tapping their feet or swooning over this score, which is why the recordings of the original production, the film version and every subsequent revival have been award-winning best-sellers. Songs from WEST SIDE STORY can still be heard sung by opera, pop and cabaret artists all over the world.  

Then there’s the dazzling, almost athletic choreography, co-created here by the gifted Clayton Cross and Isa Ramirez, and danced with passion and precision by a multitalented cast. The “Prologue,” “Dance at the Gym,” “America,” “The Rumble” the heartbreaking dream “Ballet Sequence” and “Somewhere” are simply breathtaking. Combinations of classical ballet, jazz, Latin ballroom and other modern dance styles make each musical number visually exciting.

Back in the 1950s when newspapers were just beginning to cover the tragic stories of teenage gangs and turf wars, WEST SIDE STORY evolved from these events and would forever change the scope of the American Musical. Noteworthy, too, was that this new theatrical form resulted from a collaboration between artistic geniuses Arthur Laurents, for his powerful libretto, Leonard Bernstein’s timeless score, Jerome Robbins’ magnificent direction and choreography and a talented new kid on the Broadway block named Stephen Sondheim, for his beautiful lyrics.

The entire excellent cast of Music Theater Works’ production is absolutely astounding. Each and every performer on the stage of North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is a superstar. This presentation is distinguished by stellar performances in the leading roles by lovely actor and songstress, and newcomer to MTW, Isabella Ruano (OKLAHOMA), as Maria; and handsome, All- American appearing and vocally commanding Luke Nowakowski (BRIGADOON at MTW; DAMN YANKEES and URINETOWN at Theo Ubique), as Tony. Both performers shine with the power of ten-thousand stars and truly own the stage in every scene. Gorgeous Pauleth Jauregui (SCRATCHING THE SURFACE at Artemisia), as Anita, is the passionate personification of the Latin spitfire, but it’s in her tirelessly energetic dancing where she really wows the audience. Swarthy and sensuous Emmanuel Ramirez (ZORRO: THE MUSICAL at MTW) greatly impresses with his superb acting, singing and dancing talent, in the role of Bernardo; and Connor Ripperger (PIPPIN and GODSPELL at MTW; SCARMOUCHE at City Lit) is, as always, terrific in the role of Riff, the leader of the Jets gang. All of these actors stand out amidst an unbelievably gifted ensemble of very talented singer/dancers. Some of the cast are familiar faces at Music Theater Works, while other are making their MTW debut. However, there’s not a weak performance in this production, thanks to magnificent production director Sasha Gerritson, the always wonderful musical director Linda Madonia and gifted co-choreographers Clayton Cross and Isa Ramirez.

This splendid production of an American theatrical classic, only playing for a limited run, celebrates the richness of music, culture, language and community. If only to hear Bernstein’s beautiful score played by a full orchestra, or to see and hear a company of gifted and talented young professionals acting, singing and dancing their hearts out, this production deserves a look. It’s a musical filled with excitement, romance and a bit of welcome humor. Whether this is your first or fifteenth time experiencing WEST SIDE STORY, please do not miss this absolutely extraordinary presentation at Music Theater Works. Worthy of a standing ovation, this is a must-see production!

Highly Recommend

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented August 13-30 by Music Theater Works at the 

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 N. Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL.

Tickets are available in person at the theater box office, or by going to www.MusicTheaterWorks.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.

Photos by Brett Beiner