West Side Story preview

West Side Story

Photograph: Joan Marcus

A restaging of West Side Story, directed by 90-year-old Arthur Laurents, who wrote the original tuner’s book, might not seem like the most enticing show for young audiences. But, happily, the old-fogy aspect of the production begins and ends with Laurents’s age.

Forgoing a traditional revival, he has conceived a bilingual version of the classic New York City musical about two young lovers caught in a battle between rival street gangs: the white Jets and the Puerto Rican, Spanish-speaking Sharks. The result has the lovelorn Maria (newcomer Josefina Scaglione) singing “Siento Hermosa” instead of “I Feel Pretty” after she meets and falls for Tony, a former Jet. Without help from supertitles in the theater, the language barrier underscores their doomed romance and the antagonism between their respective groups. Cody Green, who portrays Riff, the leader of the Jets, finds the new twist makes it easier for him to connect with his character. “I don’t speak Spanish, so I don’t know what they [the Sharks] are saying to me,” he says. “It’s frustrating, [and that] creates the bigotry and hatred.”

The production also features some refreshingly age-appropriate cast members. Joey Haro, 21, plays Chino, the Shark with eyes for Maria. Haro believes the musical will “hit home” for local youth. As a viewer, “you see these young kids doing terrible things, and it makes you want to be better,” he says, “especially young teens, who still have that choice.”—Julia Stroud

West Side Story is in previews at the Palace Theatre. Opens Mar 19.

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