You know it’s a classic when it gets better with age; the musical West Side Story is definitely a classic.
Brentwood College School’s students are presenting this memorable show this week with all the verve and emotion this Romeo and Juliet inspired tale deserves.
West Side Story is a favourite vehicle for student performers because they bring real life to the stage. They are that young and full of hope, they feel things that strongly, and they get hurt that easily.
The timeless themes of the story translated well in the 1950s and they still are relevant today: gang warfare can be found everywhere, racism is rampant, and poverty, too, still haunts those on the outside edges of society.
Ashley Ciambrelli as Maria and Timothy Cameron as Tony were perfect for the star-crossed lovers. Their singing together was seamless and their acting heartfelt; they soon had the audience pulling for them.
All the aspects of West Side Story are there in this production.
You’ll enjoy feisty Anita (Fabiana Gutierrez), who so wants to be a regular American girl, the pair of street gangs that don’t realize they are two sides of the same coin, the racist cop (Jacob Bossi), the shabby neighbourhood skillfully rendered in a chain link fence based set, the costumes, the iconic choreography led by Riff (Jack Napier-Ganley) and his Jets and Bernardo (Darcy Smith) and his Sharks.
Another great piece of work from the Brentwood College Team. Bravo!
The show continues tonight (Friday) at
7:30 p.m. and tomorrow, March 2, with shows at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Maria and Tony are falling in love. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony and Maria enjoy their first dance together. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Everyone has a good time at the dance. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony thinks ‘Something’s Coming’. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)I just met a girl named ‘Maria’, sings Tony. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony’s excited about meeting Maria. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony and Maria meet secretly outside her apartment. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Officer Krupke tells the Jets he wants to rid the neighbourhood of the Sharks gang. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Theatregoers can enjoy all of West Side Story’s iconic choreography in this production. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Anita tells Maria and Tony they are crazy to think they have a future together. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony daydreams about Maria while Riff is getting worked up about the coming rumble with the Sharks gang. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Rosalia’s been yearning for Puerto Rico while Anita, right, wants to be an all American girl. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony and Maria meet at the bridal shop where Maria works and pretend to be a bride and groom. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony (Timothy Cameron) and Maria (Ashley Ciambrelli) promise to love each other forever. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Anita (Fabiana Gutierrez) says it’s better in America than in their old home, Puerto Rico. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Members of the Jets poke fun at the idea that the police don’t understand them. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Maria’s friends listen as she explains how much she loves Tony in I Feel Pretty.A group of her friends listen while Maria tells them she feels pretty because she knows Tony loves her. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)The Jets strut their stuff in Cool. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony suggests a fair fist fight instead of a rumble with weapons, and the two gang leaders shake on it. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)After the rumble, Maria and Tony want to find some place they can be safe. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)The entire group sings and dances to ‘Somewhere’ in the hopes of escaping their hard lives. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Tony kills the Sharks’ leader, Bernardo, after discovering that Riff is dead. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Maria is heartbroken that her lover, Tony, has killed Bernardo. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Bernardo (Darcy Smith) kills Riff (Jack Napier-Ganley) when a fair fight becomes a desperate struggle. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Reconciled, Maria and Tony make plans to run away together. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)Chino kills Tony and Maria mourns as the others stand, horrified at this final turn of events. (Lexi Bainas/Citizen)
Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines.
