Beyond The Finger Snaps: A West Side Story Workshop
Open to youth in grades 6-12 interested in auditioning for West Side Story 

Wednesday, January 27, 6-8 PM 
Monticello Middle School, 3665 Monticello Blvd., Cleveland Heights 44121
$15 per person  

To register please e-mail Pamela Fine at heightsyouththeatre@gmail.com

For most people, the first things that come to mind when thinking of West Side Story are the dancing and the songs. First performed in 1957, West Side Story broke many of Broadway’s expectations and rules about what could be portrayed on the stage. There was a palpable shift from musical comedy to musical theater. Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, the new musical blurred the lines between opera and pop, and reflected on the stage, one of the gang and ethnic conflicts of its time. Unfortunately, we still live in a society that tends to fear difference. At the center of it all is the ability to highlight the views, hopes and fears of teens! We will look at some of the major themes of the show and begin making contemporary connections that will continue throughout the production. The language of the piece is of the 50’s and beyond. We will discuss the use of both English and Spanish and, like Shakespeare’s contributions to his works, the creation of new words for the musical. Conceived by Jerome Robbins, West Side Story had more dancing than any other musical before it. Add to that, the considerable talents of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim on music and Arthur Laurents on script. Yet, those in power at the time said that it could never happen. It was too dark, too tragic, too timely, too… hard. We will explore segments of the music and movement of the piece to give you a sense of what is to come, and lay a foundation of reality for the piece as a whole. This is far from High School Musical! We look forward to working with those of you who are up to meeting the wonderful challenges that create the lasting magic of West Side Story!