The tension between the Jets and the Sharks — two rival street gangs in 1950s New York City — is made apparent in the opening scene of Washington National Opera’s recent production of “West Side Story.”
It’s the all-too-familiar tale of the haves and the have-nots, the rich versus the poor, and teenage love that transcends these labels.
In this heartfelt retelling of “Romeo and Juliet,” Broadway’s Shereen Pimentel and Ryan McCartan star as star-crossed lovers. The female lead, Maria, a Puerto Rican immigrant eager to find her way in a new country, falls in love with Tony, an American idealist.
Their relationship exists in clandestine moonlit meetings, complicated because the two come from warring factions of Manhattan’s West Side. Maria’s older brother, Bernardo (Yurel Echezarreta) leads the Puerto Rican Sharks. Tony, along with his best friend, Riff (Taylor Harley), co-founded the Jets.
The set, designed by Peter J. Davison, transports the viewer to the streets of Manhattan. A large neon hotel sign hangs above an ornate building façade on stage left, in stark contrast to the run-down tenement on stage right, where Maria and her family live. Streetlamps light the set against a cityscape.
A functioning fire escape leads up to Maria’s balcony, which opens to the bedroom where she and her friends (Daniella Castoria, Rachel Josefina and Maria Cristina Posada Slye) belt out “I Feel Pretty.”
The tender romance and thrilling rumble scenes are enhanced by a 52-piece orchestra under the baton of Baltimore legend Marin Alsop. Pimentel’s rich soprano shines, especially during Maria and Anita’s (Amanda Castro) duet “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love” before the finale.
Tony’s emotion — giddiness upon first meeting Maria at a dance, then all-consuming grief when he believes his love has been fatally shot — emerges through McCartan’s expressive tenor.
The dialogue stays true to the original script. Between synchronized ballet numbers, the teenage gangs hurl racial epithets at one another, illustrating the ethnic tensions of the era.
The costumes (Jessica Jahn) clearly delineate who’s who, with the Sharks clad in bold scarlets, reds and oranges, and the “bad boy” Jets donning blues, olive greens and whites. Even during potentially confusing scenes, such as the dance or the rumble, members of the rival gangs remain visually distinct.
A.J. Guban’s use of color through lighting is particularly powerful. As the boys twirl their partners on the dance floor, the shiny silver balloons in the background light up red on the Sharks’ side and blue on the Jets’ side, another sign of “us” versus “them.”
When Maria and Tony meet and share their first kiss, everyone else falls away, and purple light washes over the balloon arch: a symbolic mixture of red and blue.
While this production is definitely not your typical opera, WNO’s “West Side Story” retells a classic tale in a fresh, illuminating manner through polished choreography, a stage-filling set and vibrant costumes — even if the dresses aren’t 1950s style.
The only thing this production lacks is a happy ending.
Washington National Opera’s production of “West Side Story” runs May 14 and 15 at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda. These will be semi-staged performances. For a complete schedule and tickets, visit washnatopera.org/west-side-story.
