Concept: Jerome Robbins Book: Arthur Laurents Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim. Director: Sarah Frankcom Reviewer: Dave Cunningham Nowadays audiences are accustomed to perceiving West Side Story as a classic musical perfect for viewing on Sunday afternoons so it is hard to accept that, when first staged, its depiction of gang violence was controversial. Now the UK has become a racially divided ...
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Book: Arthur Laurents Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Director: Pollyann Tanner Reviewer: Carol Lovatt Stage Experience at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham is an opportunity for young performers to showcase their talents in a professional setting and this year’s choice of the musical West Side Story, the iconic tale of the trials of youth is both inspirational and memorable. ...
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Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents Director: Phil Willmott Reviewer: Maryam Philpott It’s a rare thing to be told before you see a show that it’s widely considered to be terrible, but in the programme for Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ Anyone Can Whistle, which has been revived at The Union Theatre, Director Phil Willmott, Sondheim himself and ...
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Book: Arthur Laurents Lyrics: Jule Styne Music: Stephen Sondheim Reviewer: Mark Clegg Soundtracks of musical revivals have their work cut out for them to justify their existence. Why, when there is already one out there (or in the case of this musical, at least seven) would you need to produce another? The new major London revival of Gypsy - staggeringly, ...
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Music and Lyrics: Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim Book: Arthur Laurents Director: Jonathan Kent Reviewer: Sharon MacDonald-Armitage From the opening notes of the overture to the finale of ‘Rose’s Turn’, Jonathan Kent’s direction of Gypsy at Chichester Festival is an absolute joy. Gypsy tells the story of Momma Rose, the archetypal pushy stage mother and her two daughters June and ...
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Book: Arthur Laurents Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Choreographer: Joey McKneely (from original choreography by Jerome Robbins) Director: Joey McKneely Reviewer: Joan Phillips What happens when you mix young, testosterone charged youths, with guns, knives, fear, hatred, prejudice, poverty and romantically involved lovers from opposing gangs? All it takes is one tiny spark to light the tinder and the ...
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Creator: Jerome Robbins Book: Arthur Laurents Music: Leonard Bernstein Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Director: Joey McKneely Reviewer: Holly Spanner Inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and billed as the ‘Number 1 Greatest Musical of All Time’ by The Times in 2013, West Side Story is currently touring the UK. The show marked lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway debut when it ...
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Writer: Arthur Laurents Director: Joey McKneely Reviewer: Sharon MacDonald-Armitage Southampton’s Mayflower positively burns with the heat of a hot Manhattan night as it welcomes director Joey McKneely version of West Side Story. Based on Jerome Robbins concept of a book by Arthur Laurents and with music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim this ever popular musical has become ...
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