ARTS EXPRESS IS DETERMINED TO OPEN "WEST SIDE STORY"

By Chuck Graham, TucsonStage.com

 

photo by Mike Sultzbach

A cast of 29 actors, singers and dancers fill the stage of the Arts Express' production of "West Side Story" in the company's Park Place Mall theater on the city's eastside.

 

It will take a lot more than a pandemic to stop Tucson's own Arts Express from presenting its full production of “West Side Story.” When March of 2020 began, Nancy Davis Booth had all the “WSS” roles cast and a day scheduled for the opening. Then on March 12 the COVID 19 threat closed everything overnight.

“We had to completely re-cast the show,” said Booth. “Then only one member of the original cast came back.”

Now with the pandemic running full-on into its second year with all the protocol for social distancing and face masks still in effect, Booth has her new cast into its fifth week of rehearsals, preparing for opening night on April 23, presenting a fully orchestrated production of “West Side Story” with all the singing and dancing that was in the original Broadway show.

“The orchestra accompaniment is pre-recorded via Musical Theatre International, but we have a cast of 29 actors, singers and dancers performing all the dialogue, songs and dance.

“We didn't change a word,” said Booth proudly. “Cast members had long disussions about repeating some of the words and phrases that sound so controversial today. But ultimately we decided not to change a word.”

“All the racial slurs, the bigotry, the sexist remarks. It's all in there because that's the point we wanted to make artistically.

“The show opened on Broadway in 1957, and since then, absolutely nothing in our culture has really changed. It's sad, but it' s also true. I want to stress that point,” said Booth.

“And our choreographer, Shannon Dooling-Cain, has definitely challenged the dancers. They are performing moves they never thought possible.

“The iconic movement of Jerome Robbins' original work – the leg lifts, the snapping fingers – those are all there, and Shannon has adapted the rest to match the talents of the dancers.”

A full cast of 29, all wearing masks throughout, will fill the Arts Express stage in the Park Place Mall. The lineup of gang members includes six Jets and five Sharks, along with four Jet girls and five Shark girls that are led by the flashy Anita (Jules Grantham).

Taking the other leading roles are Danae Dorame as Maria, David Asher as Tony, Daniel Gilmore as Riff and Charlie Hall as Bernardo.

Being able to use their own Arts Express theater space for all the rehearsals for so many people has been a huge advantage, said Booth.

“We'll be rehearsing with the actors on stage and, at the same time, the dancers will be out in the lobby.” Booth explained. “Sometimes the sound bleeds through, but we are making it work.”

The director has literally had a life-long love for “West Side Story.” She counts performing in it as a turning point in her own life.

“It was my first show,” Booth said. “I was cast in 'West Side Story' in 1969 and from that experience I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

“Coming back to it now, after so many years, has been absolutely wonderful.”

While those elements of culture clash from 70 years ago make this Broadway classic seem more timely today, we musn't forget this show is also Leonard Bernstein's interpretation of Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet.” A love story now being told in the time of COVID19.

“Yes, everyone wears a mask for the entire show,” Booth stressed “All the leading roles are wearing microphones, too.”

Those without masks sing through their masks. All those voices singing together get a full sound, Booth promises.

In blocking the actors and fine-tuning the choreography, the director was thorough in assuring there would be no touching and no up-close, face-to-face moments.

“We use a lot of entwining, rather than embracing face to face. We are emphasizing moves that are more like implied spooning. We always stay aware of that safe distancing requirement,” she affirmed.

The established Arts Express' success with doing fully staged productions of masked performances for audience members seated around small, socially distanced tables has the company projecting a full season of Broadway favorites deep into next year.

Booth is already on the books to take on another classic, “Oliver,” next February. She is hoping all the COVID 19 restrictions for theater will be lifted by then – but if not she will be packing some deep experience in staging another masked musical.

All tickets for “West Side Story” must be purchased in advance. Groups of up to six people can sit together at one table. For complete details, show times and reservations, vist www.arts-express.org or phone 520-319-0400.