I'm not gonna discuss here the storyline because I assume that you already know it. I'm just going to write a really short critique of the play specifically focusing on what I think of the actors/actresses.
I didn't expect it to be world-class level but it certainly was. It's not like I've seen a lot of Broadways, hehe, it's actually just my second. But, I can confidently say it was world-class. Eighty percent of the cast were Filipinos (unlike in Cinderella where it seemed like only around 2-3 actors were Filipinos including Lea), and yet I felt like I was elsewhere, in London perhaps?
Their dialogues were impressive with unmistakable American and Puertorican accents, which makes you think twice about their nationalities. I've seen the Broadway musical on dvd more than five times already and I can confidently say that the live performance was comparable to the one on film.
I loved Joanna Ampil. Yes, I was lucky to catch her play Maria's part last Saturday with Mom. She's so much like Lea in a sense that she sings clearly, passionately and wonderfully without even trying or at least without showing any signs of difficulty in doing her craft. Every note she sang was perfect. She was beautiful on stage.
I was also amazed with Pam G., the one who characterized Anita. Wow! She was very graceful and strong at the same time with a superb dancing prowess. Her Puertorican accent was perfetissimo, just like Joanna's. Her presence on stage was very dominant.
Jeff Singson who played Bernardino was also impressive. I read in the WSS InsideStory that it was his first performance on stage in big supporting roles. It didn't seem like it though. Gian Magdangal who played Riff in the musical, on the other hand, was equally outstanding.
Christian Bautista was amazing in his songs but he was a little below par from his co-stars when it came to dancing and dialoguing, he didn't have that American accent that they had.
The stage backdrops were alright. That's actually good considering that I've just seen the Cinderella musical.
It was such a lovely experience that I had with my mom and the cast of West Side Story. Grabe, ang galing ng mga Pinoy sa theater. :)
