West Side Story in Dubai: Bold and effortlessly relatable retelling of a classic

Review: The musical, which runs until Sunday at Dubai Opera, is emphatic theatrical fun

West Side Story follows two star-crossed lovers in rival street gangs. Photo: Dubai Opera

Steven Spielberg's luminous revival of West Side Story brought the American classic to life for a new generation of film audiences in 2021 — but not every attempt to recreate the magic excels.

After all, the musical has been reproduced countless times since its stage debut in 1957, with each reboot having to face increasingly meticulous eyes and ears. The current production at the Dubai Opera, which runs until Sunday, is certainly not off the hook.

It has everything there is to love about West Side Story — the groundbreaking choreography of Jerome Robbins, the legendary music of Leonard Bernstein, the hard-hitting lyricism of Stephen Sondheim and the all-too-familiar tale of star-crossed lovers, caught in an ethnic rivalry.

Remarkably, the story feels effortlessly relatable even after six decades, and the fact that there are companies with the talent and grit to restage it is already enough cause for a celebration.

Thursday night's run at the Dubai Opera was teeming with eager theatregoers, a mixed bag of teenagers and an older crowd wanting to relive the musical experience in the flesh. The UAE is continuing to boost its cultural calendar and it's encouraging to see throngs of people ready to take part in the artistic renaissance.

As soon as the orchestra hits their first beat, I was immediately carried away by Bernstein's genius. The moveable set pieces provided the perfect theatrical illusion of 1950s Manhattan, coupled with the masterful tinkering of the lights.

The prologue, which is all dance, not only introduced audiences to the conflict of the rival groups, the white Sharks and the Puerto Rican Jets, but also to the stars of the night: the talented ensemble bringing Robbins's choreography to life.

The Sharks, in particular, were a crowd favourite and truly showed off during the Cool and Gee, Officer Krupkee numbers. They are led, at least in the first act, by Taylor Harley, who was the star of the show as Riff, even sometimes overshadowing Jadon Webster as Tony, one-half of the doomed lead couple.

Harley's energetic performance perfectly conveyed the hysterical teenage angst of Riff and the Sharks, which felt curiously lacking in Spielberg's 2021 version. After all, West Side Story also makes a strong point about juvenile delinquency and poverty, aside from the obvious racially motivated conflict.

The Sharks delivered a riotous performance during the second act's Gee, Officer Krupkee, sending the audience into appreciative giggles and chuckles with their riveting performance.

Another scene-stealer was Kyra Sorce, who plays Anita, the partner of the leader of the Puerto Rican gang Bernardo. Each of her scenes were both light and intense, impeccably embodying the nuances of the supporting character.

Sorce, and the other Shark girls, performed America with its required gusto. She shined during the disturbingly well-choreographed assault scene, and the emotionally complex A Boy Like That number.

The ensemble's incandescent performance somehow dimmed the spark of the lead couple, Tony and Maria, played by Melanie Sierra. Both actors met the vocal requirements of the roles, with Webster's velvet tone and Sierra's skilful control. Their voices melt into each other's, demonstrated deftly during One Hand, One Heart.

Webster, however, chose a rather unnatural cadence during the speaking parts, and some heavy scenes, including Riff's death and Anita's false revelation at the end, could have been punchier. Some of Sierra's scenes also felt a bit tame, with a rather too childish approach to portraying Maria. She broke out of it in the end, however, with the short and intense monologue following the show's tragic twist.

I say this fully aware of the danger of being too nitpicky when it comes to reviewing timeless shows, and with opinions coloured by the surprising performances of Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria, under the legendary direction of Spielberg.

The small flaws did not matter in the end. It was a production that was not scared to highlight the passion of the characters and the storyline, fully embracing the edginess of the 1957 musical that everyone loved, and still loves. It lived up to towering expectations, and thunderous applause across the opera house attested to that.

The show is showing at Dubai Opera until Sunday