Leonard Bernstein never really liked his 1961 smash hit musical - Friday’s Opera Australia production at the Fleet Steps proved his misgivings misplaced.
Good enough on Friday night to lure back former Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his second ‘HOSH’ in a row, a fact acknowledged by Arts Minister Tony Burke in an unusually passionate speech afterwards.
To a crowd including Opera Australia chair Rod Sims, and an emissary of mysterious Japanese benefactor Haruhisa Handa, Burke revealed himself atragic and admitted crying for most of OA’s production. Nina Korbe as Maria and Billy Bourchier as Tony in West Side Story presented by Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour.It was certainly a show worthy of a few tears to go along with the sweat and blood that went into making a stage 2.5 times bigger than any indoor stage in Australia, filled with three subway cars, a graffitied Manhattan apartment block, and replica 1950s drugstore and diner.
In Nina Korbe and Billy Bourchier, this production is blessed with an excellent Tony and Maria. There needs to be strong chemistry to pull off a ‘love at first sight’ storyline and these two were as magnetic as you could hope for. I haven’t seen. Patrick Whitbread as head of the Anglo-American Jet gang, and Manuel Stark Santos as chief of the Puerto Rican Sharks, both brought the requisite physicality to the street fighting set pieces. The Jets’ ensemble songsBut perhaps the standout tough was Jet member Action, played by Novocastrian Luke Jarvis, who was a compelling presence and a performer to watch.
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