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Isle actors prove their
worth in classic roles
"West Side Story": Presented by Army Community Theatre at Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 25. Tickets are $14 and $17; $8 and $10 for children. Call 438-4480 or visit www.squareone.org/ATC.
Great theater roles are timeless, and Army Community Theatre's revival of "West Side Story" proves the point. There's nothing generic or formulaic to be found as director Stephanie Conching and a fine cast retell this powerful tale of love, social disintegration, ethnic prejudice and turf wars between two street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, in compelling style.
Arthur Laurents' "book" for this classic musical contains timeless observations on the tragic consequences of prejudice, and the plight of inner-city youth, that connect with the heart and mind far more effectively than any morality play cobbled together to teach "at-risk" teens the error of their ways. Leonard Bernstein's music and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics are some of the best written for the 20th-century American stage.
That much, of course, we know. What matters here and now is that Jimi V. Wheeler and Katherine Mills are well-matched as the star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria. Wheeler, a proven talent, quickly reaffirms his credentials with his first big vocal number, "Something's Coming," early in Act 1. He stumbled a bit with "Maria" on opening night Thursday, but recovered to make "Balcony Scene" and "One Hand, One Heart" the musical and dramatic high points they must be if the show is to touch the heart. Mills steps into the role of romantic heroine with equal success. She not only sings her big numbers with power and emotion, but succeeds in depicting Maria's transition from virginal romantic to battle-scarred peacemaker.
Tricia Marciel (Anita) surpasses her recent Po'okela Award-winning performance in ACT's spring staging of "Kiss Me, Kate!" with a beautiful portrayal of Maria's sexually aware adviser and confidant. Marciel delivers her comic lines perfectly, sings "A Boy Like That" with richness and passion and caps several impressive dance numbers with her performance in the terrifying drug-store scene, which rivals the rape of Aldonza in ACT's "Man of La Mancha" last fall for its roughness and sexual charge.
Gene DeFrancis (Action) is the most memorable of the other characters with his edgy work as the most aggressive and unstable member of the Jets, but acrobatic prowess makes Arthur "AJ" Johansen (Big Deal) a standout in several dance numbers. Christy Joy K. Matsushige (Anybodys) stops the show with her showcase number, "Somewhere," in Act 2.
David C. Farmer (Doc) adds a career-best performance as the weary owner of the drug store that serves as Jet headquarters.
Conching employs interesting visual cues. Wheeler is physically bigger than any of the other gang members, and his size makes him the natural focal point whenever he's on stage. However, Patrick Albergo (Lt. Schrank) and Bill Carr (Officer Krupke) are larger still, and their greater size serves to remind the viewer that the Sharks and Jets are still teenagers.
Choreographer Marcelo Pacleb make effective use of the space available in reconstituting the expansive dance numbers, and gets a valuable assist from fight choreographer Tony Pisculli in staging the "rumble" than ends Act 1.
Musical director Lina Jeong Doo and her musicians give the cast solid support throughout. The only sound problems on opening night came during three ensemble numbers -- "Jet Song," "America" and "Gee, Officer Krupke" -- when the ensemble needed more volume to be heard over the orchestra.
The other problem is that the Jets and the Sharks are dressed so similarly that they are almost indistinguishable. In most productions, the two gangs' colors make them instantly recognizable.
Although the theater season has gotten off to an uneven start elsewhere, ACT's "West Side Story" connects on all levels.
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