‘West Side Story’ in Living Color: Race relations onstage

Ethnicity matters, especially in the current social climate where xenophobia are at the forefront of most people’s minds. 

West Side Story, the classic 1957 musical reinterpretation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – the aristocratic clans of Montagues and Capulets are transformed into rival New York street gangs the Sharks, comprised of Puerto Rican tough guys, and the Jets, composed of white-skinned bruisers – has come to Manila and reminds us all that race relations has been culturally significant way before Charlottesville.

Currently performing at The Theatre of Solaire Resort & Casino until August 27, this production of West Side Story features a globe-trotting touring company comprised of an all-American multiracial cast with Lance Hayes as Riff and Waldermar Quinones-Villanueva as Bernardo, the leaders of the warring gangs. The part of the star crossed lovers Tony and Maria are played by Kevin Hack and Jenna Burns, while the feisty Anita is played by Keely Bierne. (WATCH: ‘West Side Story’ American cast performs in Manila)

Best known for songs such as “Maria,” “Tonight,” “America,” and “I Feel Pretty,” this production of West Side Story is one of the most faithful productions of this well-loved Broadway and movie hit. The original score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim is always a pleasure to hear, and more impressive still is that this production tackles the technically challenging choreography of Jerome Robbins.

True Colors 

For Filipinos who have watched numerous local productions of West Side Story through the years, what strikes them the most about this production is how much more effective the musical is when it casts ethnically accurate actors. The racial divide between all-white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks becomes more apparent to the audience. 

The Philippines is no stranger to theater productions but in our local, near homogenous society, it’s easy for local audiences to forget that skin tone and ethnicity are still very much an issue around the world, even in the supposedly benign world of musical theater. When Lea Salonga was winning the hearts of global audiences with her endearing and tender portrayal of a Vietnamese prostitute in the musical Miss Saigon, Jonathan Pryce, a noted Caucasian star from Wales (Pirates of the Caribbean, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and Game of Thrones) attracted criticism for being cast in 1991 as the Engineer, the sleazy French-Vietnamese hustler making the best of opportunities in the flesh trade during Vietnam War. Surely there was a wealth of Asian talent to choose from, argued the US Actors’ Equity Association that said Pryce’s casting was “an affront to the Asian community.”

Even in the 21st century, recent films such as Gods of Egypt and The Great Wall drew derision for inappropriately casting Caucasian actors in ethnic lead roles or contriving the narrative to necessitate the use of Caucasian Hollywood stars – a practice known as “whitewashing.” The 1961 cinematic version of West Side Story itself drew criticism for casting white Hollywood star Natalie Wood, whose singing needed to be dubbed with the voice of soprano Marni Nixon, as the Puerto Rican Maria. 

From its inception, West Side Story was never a sappy romance. It unflinchingly confronted issues such as racism, rape culture, gun violence, and teenage disillusionment with scenes such as the gang rape of Anita by the white boys of the Jets and the racism blatantly expressed by Lieutenant Schrank, who sought to rid the streets of immigrants and racial minorities such as the Puerto Ricans. Only those with rose-tinted glasses will be too blind to see this immortal story’s true colors – a stinging indictment of the American Dream.

West Side Story may be celebrating its 60th anniversary this September, but its narrative remains the news of the day. With the recent violent altercations due to white supremacist groups and the Trump regime’s sympathetic leanings for these white nationalists, with its vehemently anti-immigrant policies, West Side Story is all the more resonant and tragic to audiences all over the world. 

 – Rappler.com 

Writer, graphic designer, and business owner Rome Jorge is passionate about the arts. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of asianTraveler Magazine, Lifestyle Editor of The Manila Times, and cover story writer for MEGA and Lifestyle Asia Magazines, Rome Jorge has also covered terror attacks, military mutinies, and mass demonstrations as well as reproductive health, gender equality, climate change, HIV/AIDS and other important issues. He is also the proprietor of Strawberry Jams Music Studio.