West Side Story is only on for about 8 weeks at the Sydney Opera House and I wish it was there for like 88 weeks!
Everything about this production blew me away. The costumes, the choreography, the singing, the acting, the sets, the orchestra. I could go on forever but I’ll just let you buy tickets for yourself instead.
There were many standouts for me in this production. Let’s start by talking about Daniel Assetta (Tony), Noah Mullins (Riff) and Sophie Salvesani (Maria). They absolutely stole the show! Both Aseetta and Salvesani played each other’s love interests on the day I saw the show (Sunday September 1) and they were the perfect match; not only with playing a couple, but with their singing ability. Watch out for these two. They could be in an opera in the future with their voices. They are well and truly trained for it.
West Side Story is Noah Mullins’ professional debut. He’s been doing amateur theatre since the age of 3 and has been dancing for 5 years. From just looking at this production, you would think he’s been dancing SO much longer. This guy is definitely going to go so far in the industry.
It was great to see a production with such young talent too. It was refreshing to see that such a huge production, which has been on Broadway for so long, is giving so many young people their start, and an opportunity to show off their talents in a professional show that travels all around the country, and even the world.
Choreographer Joel McKneely has done a phenomenal job with the choreography. The fight scenes included dance in it and, I never thought I’d say this about a fight scene, it was beautiful to watch. The way they incorporated the anger of the fight with the music and the beauty of dance was magical. There was a live orchestra underneath the stage, which added another dimension to the show. It was almost like another character.
There were a couple of big fight scenes in the show and it really added to the story. Unfortunately the two sides were fighting because of being different and because of ego, which is unfortunately something that is still happening today, off the stage, so it is relatable.
The only negative I had about the orchestra and the music was that it was sometimes louder than the singers, which made it hard to hear the lyrics that they were singing. There was also a part of a scene when everyone is singing something different, which was another time when it was difficult to understand what they were all singing. You didn’t know where and who to tune in to.
West Side Story is definitely up there with one of my favourite musicals now. It is up there with Jersey Boys, which is another one of my favourites. In a way, there were many similarities to Jersey Boys too, especially with the crime part of the story.
I won’t ruin anymore of this show for you. You just have to see it for yourself. I can tell you now, you will not regret it! Take your family and friends along for a fun night (or day) out at the Sydney Opera House.
Rating: 9.5/10
Have you seen West Side Story too? Let us know what you thought by commenting below.
Written by Lauren Yeates
