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Journalism of Courage
The story of forbidden love set in the late 50s in the backdrop of bitter rivalry between street gangs of New York, showcased in ‘West Side Story’, enjoys an enduring appeal notwithstanding multiple outings on screen and stage, over the years. The tragic love story, inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and reimagined on a grand scale for a Broadway production, is currently having a 12-day run at The Grand Theatre of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai.
After staging the successful run of its first international presentation ‘The Sound of Music’, The Grand Theatre with its impressive setting and top-notch acoustics offers an engrossing experience as the Lonny Price-directed ‘West Side Story’ brings on stage an ensemble cast of 34 live performers and a live orchestra of 20 musicians. The musical, which is famous for popular numbers such as ‘Maria’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Somewhere’, ‘America’, and others, also embraces high-energy choreography, costumes and fascinating sets to make it a visual treat. The shows of ‘West Side Story’ are scheduled at the 2,000-seater The Grand Theatre till August 27.
‘West Side Story’ revolves around star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria. Trouble brews on the Upper West Side as rival gangs Jets (American) and Sharks (Puerto Rican) battle for dominance of the neighbourhood, even as the protagonists – whose kin are sworn enemies – find themselves irrevocably in love. While the story has been hailed as “timeless”, the dance battles between the gangs ensure that the audience has a good time. What gives this production an additional edge are the deftly created sets, which are innovative and stunning. The contemporary vibe of the production gives the classic story a refreshing touch. ‘West Side Story’ is a happy marriage of technical wizardry and a cauldron of emotions, tugging at the heartstrings of the audience, in awe of stagecraft, lighting, music, and vocals.
Talking about this big-scale touring production, founder and chairperson of NMACC, Nita Ambani said: “We are delighted to bring yet another iconic Broadway musical – West Side Story — to India for the very first time. This carries forward our vision of showcasing the best of India to the world and bringing the best of the world to India. At the heart of this theatrical is the emotion of love – a force that transcends boundaries and binds cultures.”
Even though the musical is over six decades old, it continues to dazzle the audience as well as creative minds. In 2022, an all-new international creative team assembled around Price to recreate the musical. Talking about this rendition of ‘West Side Story’, Price said: “We wanted to rejuvenate this classic on stage. To do a traditional production of it, and a truthful one, using the means available today, but staying as close to the original as possible.”
The story of love and conflict never ceases to lose its lustre and appeal, across geographies and cultures. Calling India a “land of epic love stories”, producer Martin Flohr hoped that his production would elicit the admiration of a people themselves sold on the beauty of romance.
Tickets are available on nmacc.com or bookmyshow.com.
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