West Side Story is based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet but set in Manhattan, New York. It follows the rivalry between the gangs of the Jets and Sharks and how they want to have a rumble. The tension between the gangs is seen throughout and things get difficult when love is involved. Tony, a Jet, is brought into danger when he starts dating Maria, her brother is a Shark. Two lovers, who aren’t meant to be together, could cause some problems!
Auditions for West Side Story took place back in June 2015 and rehearsing has been intense ever since. The cast and staff have had to put in time and effort during breaks and lunches, after school, during weekends and holidays to get it to the best possible standard!
The cast was led by Charlie, who appeared in his first ever musical and portrayed the character of Tony. Working alongside Charlie was Year 13, Chloe. Furthermore, Joel, who took to the stage for a second time having appeared in Oliver, played Jets leader, Riff. Opposing Joel was Year 12, Dominic, appearing in his first musical in the role of Bernardo. To end the main cast was Year 13, Amy who delivered a super performance in the role of Anita!
Supporting the main characters where the main Jets, Owen as Action and James as Arab. Making his first appearance in a musical was Jack as Chino. The Jet girls were Year 13 students, Maiya and Sophie as Graziella and Velma. Playing the main girls of the Sharks were Eliza, Lexia and Eve as Consuelo, Rosalia and Francisa. Finally portraying the adults of the musical were Jack, Amy and Henry as Doc, Officer Krupke and Gladhand.
On Wednesday 25th November, it was the opening night and the cast where all nervous with excitement. Everyone couldn’t wait to perform a knock out performance and it truly was a great start to the show. However, Thursday 26th November delivered a good performance which was just as good as the opening night but lacked the atmosphere from the first night. To end the run of the show on Friday 27th November, the performance had a full house and the cast performed an amazing show with the excitement and energy raised to the fullest. Everyone put everything they had to deliver the best show possible and it paid off. The audience’s reaction after every song came to an end showed their gratitude with a loud applause.
Assistant Director of Learning for the Creativity Cluster and Drama Teacher Mrs Waldon said: "Now rightly regarded as a classic, West Side Story almost didn’t happen, shunned by almost every theatre producer in town and lacking financial backing until a late stage. The show’s innovations appeared at the time to be insurmountable challenges: a difficult score requiring singers with larger vocal ranges than is usual on Broadway, demanding choreography and a dark death filled story based not on light hearted romance but on one of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedies.
"West Side Story is now the most famous tragic love story of all time and the students of Carr Hill rose to the challenge of re-telling it with grit and determination. I am very, very proud of every one of them. It is perhaps a particularly relevant story at the moment when the fighting between the Sharks and the Jets which demonstrates unquestioning hatred born of difference and the fear that engenders, is mirrored in the hatred and violence seen daily, led by people who also harbour that same hatred, born of difference. If only the terrorists whose actions fill the news and cause global horror and bloodshed could see what the characters in West Side Story see by the finale - that in this situation no one wins!"
Thank you to Mr Waller for allowing us to perform on the stage for our family and friends and thank you to the audience members who came and watched us from Wednesday to Friday!
West Side Story
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