High Octane
by David C. Jones
It’s big and energetic.
That is part of the problem.
A powerful classic is considered such because it moves generation after generation. West Side Story, premiered in 1957, and its blend of dance and social commentary captured the audience. Themes of first love/young hormones and the generation gap make the play resonate even though some of the language like “Daddy-O” has long left our vernacular. Audiences connect to the struggle of young people trying to make their way into adulthood against great odds.
Broadway across Canada is presenting the Troika Entertainment production of West Side Story based on the recent Broadway revival. The story is of two rival gangs one Puerto Rican (The Sharks) and the other of Irish/Polish descent (The Jets). Things get heated when the younger sister of the leader of the Sharks (Maria) falls in love with the former leader of The Jets (Tony).
