Just reading the play scriptit is so full of awkward and rushed dialogue, inconsistencies with characters and situations
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StrongRex — 15 years ago(August 24, 2010 06:54 AM)
Given that the tension would have been disipated by the gap (with drinks and socialising in the lobby), and the need for something to bring people back in to the story/musical and not to upset a 1950s audience too much, as a unexpected and shocking death would have, the placement of these cheerier songs seems eminently sensible to me.
If they really didn't want to have to do that to their audience, all they would have had to do was end Act One with the scene at Doc's, and move the bridal shop scene to the beginning of Act Two. The story for the stage musical would have been written much better that way because, like you said, it would have been more sensible for the mood and the more cheerful songs wouldn't have ruined that. -
movibuf1962 — 15 years ago(August 20, 2010 10:39 AM)
Great, fresh point of view- I didn't know such rules about not changing the original script were in place for any revival of a stage show- this is an education!! And you brought up one of my favorite changes in the film which I neglected to mention: making "America" a heated, witty, sophisticated song-and-dance debate between the guys AND the girls (instead of just the girls) may have been the best change in the entire film. The last time I saw the movie in a theatre, this number got rollicking applause from the audience at its conclusion.
What a showcase for Moreno and Chakiris!! -
StrongRex — 15 years ago(October 10, 2010 07:23 PM)
Actually, looking back on the movie, I take back what I said about "Gee, Officer Krupke" not being a happy song. When I saw the movie for the first time, and since then, it's made clear that the Jets' intention was to make fun of the authorities and joke around (plus the laughing at the end). So it REALLY has no place after the rumble at all.
Watch that and tell me it's not a happy situation. -
StrongRex — 15 years ago(October 12, 2010 08:35 AM)
Yes, but they still look like they're having fun in this scene. They're smiling, they're laughing at the jokes played in the song, and they're acting out the authority figures with improv. This is not a serious atmosphere, therefore it does not fit post-rumble.
That's why I took back what I said in my first post about it not being a happy song. -
StrongRex — 14 years ago(May 03, 2011 10:59 AM)
Exactly. If "Officer Krupke" were a completely dark, serious number, I wouldn't have minded if it were after the rumble. I don't know what the writers were thinking when they were injecting comedy into a song that took place after Riff had just died.
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StrongRex — 12 years ago(August 05, 2013 11:38 PM)
Being in Staten Island, my shows are always in danger of being checked up on by the agency Powers That Be, who are all located in NYC. As such, we pretty much toe the line as far as sticking to the script. If we were in the Midwest, we could probably get away with making little changes. I do know of a NJ group that did WSS, and it was practically a dupe of the film, placed onstage. How they got away with THAT, I dont know. I doubt they had permission, because I called MTI (the licensing agent for WSS) and asked (begged really) permission to use the boys in AMERICA, and the rep on the phone was adamant cant do it. As I stated earlier, the one area where I didnt back down was on making little modifications to some of the references in the lines, given the venue in which we were playing.
I know that sometimes when "Cool" and "Gee, Officer Krupke" are switched in the show like they are in the movie, they don't add Ice to the script; in fact they don't make Diesel the one to sing "Cool" even though he is supposedly Ice in the play. Instead, Diesel is the one out of control and Action is still the one taking charge and he is the one telling Diesel and the rest of the Jets to "play it cool." Guys, do you not realize that this is STILL out of character for Action? Get it right, why don't you! -
Sophitia36 — 14 years ago(September 24, 2011 03:38 AM)
I completely agree with the OP.
I haven't seen the play, but every change the movie has made makes perfect sense.
The fact that Bernstein and Laurent did not agree only shows that writers are often not the best judges of the quality of what they're doing
I also heard that Tchaikovsky wasn't happy with The Nutcracker, and yet I really think it's his best work, much better than some of the very pompous stuff he's written.
I understand also that some people don't like to see their creations altered, but it's strange to think that they were unable to see how superior the new structure was. Even without having seen the play, I just feel that it would make no sense to have "I Feel Pretty" after the rumble (sheer torture as you said), or "Cool" before the rumble and "Officer Krupke" after. -
StrongRex — 14 years ago(November 10, 2011 10:35 AM)
Seeing it last night, I stand by what I said about the stage version. Everything they did for the movie worked perfectly well and made sense. I cannot see it any other way, and I don't know how anyone else can either.
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stevenackerman69 — 14 years ago(November 19, 2011 02:33 PM)
Well, on stage more focus was on the song and dance material. When they did it for film, which is another medium, they could open it up and have more dialogue and characters who appear only once, like the angry guy in the alley that Action wants to fight.
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StrongRex — 14 years ago(December 31, 2011 12:12 PM)
That's all well and good, but in my opinion the key to having a great show is having a great, solid story to tell. You can make the songs and dance numbers as good as you want them to be, but without great storytelling the show falls flat.
Now the movie had great songs and dance numbers AS WELL AS great storytelling. The music and dance in the stage show were amazing (most of the time), but there were many weak points in the story, as I mentioned before. -
dmnemaine — 14 years ago(March 29, 2012 10:44 AM)
I think one of the main reasons for "Krupke" being performed by the Jets after the rumble is that it was felt there would be a need for a comic number as a tension reliever after the rumble scene. I happen to like the placement of "I Feel Pretty" after the rumble as well. It's a whole lot more poignant because the audience knows that Maria hasn't been awakened to reality yet. And that's the whole crux of "West Side Story" people not living in the reality that's happening around them. Tony and Maria fantasize about a happy life together that we know will never take place. The Puerto Ricans fantasize about a utopian America where all their dreams will come true. The Jets & Sharks fantasize about owning the streets, and don't realize the real ramifications of what the street war they're playing at (people die). Even the cops fantasize that they actually have some control over these street kids. The only one who can see things clearly is Doc, and nobody listens to him. Going back to "Krupke", even after the rumble, the Jets still haven't woken up to the reality of people being dead, and not coming back, and they're still playing their street war game. I think "Krupke" illustrates that perfectly. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that "Krupke" is a purposeful denying of reality by the Jets.