Review of West Side Story & Memphis

I was REALLY disappointed by w.s.s. In middle school music class, I fell in love with the music and story thanks to my music teacher Alma. While reading the book, at each scene when the song appears in the book, she would tune the w.s.s. CD. I madly wanted to see the show! Thanks to City at Peace (<3), a musical theater activism program I'm involved with, I jumped at the chance to see it for FREE (!) along with Memphis. I clenched the playbill in my hand as the opening number began. My excitement decreased as the show went on, for some reason, it just wasn't as attractive as I thought it would be. The songs and dances were beautiful, but the set design and the projection wasn't as fabulous. Projection-can you believe it, the first thing any actor should have in mind. I couldn't hear half of the text, and I was often lost.
--->I came to the conclusion, that by fact a critic shouldn't have the best seat in the house, but surprisingly the worst ( all the way in the back).This way EVERYTHING can be judged, the articulation, AND the projection.


On the other hand Memphis was exuberant!!! The storyline was cliff-hanging. The music gave me chills on the back of my neck. The catchy beats were contagious, and I felt like dancing in my chair. The set and costumes carried me on a magic carpet to America in the 50s, it was done magnificently. The show was believe able and over the top. The energy was extremely pleasing, and couldn't go about being ignored. There was never a moment I was waiting for something to happen. The actors were real, and nothing in the story seemed "blocked", but instead natural. The performance sucked me onto the stage, and I was on the verge of all my emotions throughout each scene. I came out the theater dancing and singing!

--->I was SO relieved to see that Memphis won at this year's Tony's, as the best musical of the year! Reading PxP magazine, I noticed it took 6 years (!!!) for this musical to be produced! A must see for sure.