Boy, I'm a victim of disappointment in you.
West Side Story - Theater Lübeck, 24th October 2015
My reaction to both castings, despite liking both, was "you are kidding, right?". But at the end of week I had bought a ticket, not for the premiere, as there was no way I'd pay a ridiculous 69€ for not decent tickets but a week later at a still ridiculously high 63€ for a SUBSIDISED theatre production...
West Side Story is one of the greatest stage musicals. Full stop. When it comes to this musical there is no discussion for me.
I have seen it I do not know how often. The last production was the beautiful Halle/Saale one (>>read here) I went to several times and since it is on this season as well I cannot wait to see it again.
Unfortunately I cannot say that about the Lübeck production which is most disappointing.
I am still wondering what reviewers and the audience around me that night saw in it I didn't see to rave about it or is it another case of me simply having seen so many different ones that I can compare unlike the ordinary rep theatre audience and the local press (which is too often bribed and/or told what to write (and yes I know that for sure)) who most probably see it once in their life and are avid opera visitors. Or maybe I simply have no clue as some performers I did not comment on positively before said (so if you are one of them, you better stop reading...).
Main Cast:
Riff - Thomas Christ
Tony - Raphael Pauß
Action - Christian Funk
Bernardo - Kai Bronisch
Chino - Michael Ewig
Maria - Evmorfia Metaxaki/Andrea Stadel
Anita - Femke Soetenga
Rosalia - Katharina Kühn
Doc - Dietrich Neumann
Schrank - Steffen Kubach
Krupke - Gerd Bennewitz
Glad Hand - Mark McConnell
Further casting as well as pictures etc. can be found on the Theater Lübeck
So was it all bad? No, the orchestra, well conducted by Ludwig Pflanz, could impress being enchanting and catching, I often just want to close my eyes and listen to Bernstein’s beautiful music which seems to bottle the true New York essence.
So what failed for me? It started with direction concept whatever it was - my guess is "Blow the budget, after all people paid a ridiculously high price, and overload it with ideas other productions had before putting them all in one show".
Who cares that it lost the subtlety and, what is for me worse, heart. It is all surface and no nuance. Technically great is not automatically truthful.
Too many scenes felt overloaded. Yes they have a big cast but often not all are needed, e.g. America is done as in the movie - I prefer it as in the musical with just the girls as it feels more like a cat fight but ok with movie - if stage wasn't so overcrowded with the set staging being also rather weird (also did not help that 'Rosalia' was such a crap actress and weak musical singer).
So what failed for me? It started with direction concept whatever it was - my guess is "Blow the budget, after all people paid a ridiculously high price, and overload it with ideas other productions had before putting them all in one show".
Who cares that it lost the subtlety and, what is for me worse, heart. It is all surface and no nuance. Technically great is not automatically truthful.
Too many scenes felt overloaded. Yes they have a big cast but often not all are needed, e.g. America is done as in the movie - I prefer it as in the musical with just the girls as it feels more like a cat fight but ok with movie - if stage wasn't so overcrowded with the set staging being also rather weird (also did not help that 'Rosalia' was such a crap actress and weak musical singer).
The production also has the most ridiculous staging EVER of the moment when Tony and Maria set eyes on each other at the dance, everything around them is to go fuzzy, them on cloud nine leaving everything and everyone behind them even though they are still there they just simply forget about the others.
But how is it staged here? Boys and girls at dance, EVERYONE (at least it seemed to me like that) gets their mobile phones out and plays with them sitting down on floor, leaning at wall or whatever instead of dancing, flirting etc but Tony and Maria who catch each other's eyes and walk to each other - what the heck was the director thinking with staging such an important moment that way???
I do not get it, it totally ruined that special moment when boy and girl fall in love head over heels. Totally. Absolutely. Fully. I am still angry a few weeks later about that staging.
I do adore the original choreography, some call it outdated, I do not agree with it, and prefer if done classically though if done properly I do not mind it been given a contemporary edge, a more urban street vibe and roughed up (a little) as the fabulous current Berlin production at the Komische Oper but this here is so pseudo modern fake.
It starts already in the clumsy opening scene - this is the prologue setting the basics and all you get is some childish cat fights.
In general the choreography (by Kati Heidebrecht, consultant fight scenes Gerd Bennewitz) lacked an understandable leitmotif which is so essential for me.
I do not care whether a double pirouette or some random breakdance move is done perfectly if there is no intention, no meaning to it.
Look e.g. at original, the tiniest movement has an idea, a thought behind it. The dancing is so important in this show, it is a part of the fights, the anger, all the other emotions the boys cannot express in words.
I also do not get the whole "we add breakdancers and even praise ourselves for that" when they do not add any substance to it. And sorry nothing special to rave about it because other productions have done it and that a hell lot better.
What I found especially ridiculous was that some of, at least it seemed like it, these guys just came onstage for their dance bit. WTF? Come on, make them a part of the gang, they can be mute if they can't sing but leave them onstage so they are one of them.
Besides the importance of dancing the piece also needs a cast that can act the parts - and that is my major issue with this production.
I can accept up to a certain degree casting far too old people with the five leads being an average of late 30s including people who worked with the director Wolf Widder before (I hate this casting people because you know them instead of the right person for the part but hey that is how it is these days - more and more it is more important to know the right people than the suitability) but what I cannot accept are people who are IMHO not right for the part especially after getting the part because knowing someone.
Don't get me wrong I do e.g. adore Thomas Christ but he is simply no Riff for me. His Riff is no gang leader, more a puppy being way too much boy-next-door, too glib and too grown up to be believable fighting for his beliefs and street.
And I loved Kai Bronisch in Villa Sonnenschein but a Bernardo who comes across more as a GQ model and not showing any real spark with "his" Anita is not something I want to see either.
I so missed Markus Maria Düllmann, a brilliant Bernardo in the Halle production, about the same age as Kai Bronisch, but he commanded the stage and had the drive, the hatred towards the Jets, the passion - all I missed here.
Femke Soetenga, one of the German musical scene's 'Everybody's Darling', totally lacks in personality.
Anita is most probably the most attention grabbing part, a gift to any actress, but I had never been so bored during "America" lacking sensuous ferocious flamboyant femme fatale commanding attitude and totally failing in delivering the punch lines and "A Boy Like That" left me cold with Femke simply not pulling off the strong emotional acting required and I have seen in other actresses.
The worst was when Anita is to deliver the message to Tony and gets harassed and assaulted by the Jets. So bland and fake.
Seeing Sigalit Feig (44 btw, so age is not automatically an issue) as Anita in Berlin once more the other week having the fire looking back on Femke's Anita it makes me cringe even more.
There are many ways the part of Tony can be played.
I have seen various interpretation and they all worked. But they should not be played how Raphael Pauß played the part. Or not played it.
Seriously, has this guy ever had an acting class? Do I sound rude?
Am sure I do for some but sorry, that performance was just so painful to watch.
A few days later I actually went to the WSS production in Pforzheim and saw a Tony performance by Julian Culemann so perfect that looking back I am even more upset about what I saw.
He may technically can sing the numbers but his Tony was life-, soul- and bloodless from his first moment on stage.
"Something's Coming" is such a positive optimistic opening song and he seemed to focus more on technique with way too much ferocity and stretching arms in one moments and pointing at himself in next - is that Wolf Widder's and his idea of acting?
It gets worse even when he performs "Maria". Has he ever been in love? If he has he certainly cannot transmit it. Each time he says "Maria" ideally played with emphasising it slightly different every time when saying it I want to feel the love - this raw, fresh feeling of the first true love of an inexperienced young man.
The worst though were the scenes with Andrea Stadel as Maria.
The couple's romantic moments are so wooden and not of a helpless starved amour. Yes, they enunciate their words nicely clearly thinking that is the same as acting. Well, it is not. They fail to strike sparks.
Talking about Andrea Stadel - three words: what the ....
What were they thinking casting her? What a farce.
Yes, that is a harsh word but I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. There is no trace of the young vulnerable and innocent Puerto Rican girl that has so quickly grown up by end when she speaks to the two gangs - never ever was that speech so poor - where was the despair, the grief, the anger?
Not that her singing was much better with too much opera technique, too little musical acting capabilities in her voice totally lacking power and purity.
She cannot capture at all the torn between first love and despair trying to not disappoint her family. Nearly everything sounds the same - the character goes through such a heavy turmoil and there she sings as if never felt anything.
And if she already has to sing "Somewhere" and not Rosalia, somehow an interesting idea but it is for most of the number just her singing it while Tony head in her lap and sung with so little sadness and hope which so needs to be expressed at the same time.
The Jets and Sharks seemed like random characterless gang members. None are really memorable in their own right, not even loony Action.
They roamed the stage like lost boys, are way too clean cut, too well polished, too suburban, too nice. "Gee, Officer Krupke" was performed with so much dullness and without attitude - I was bored by the end of that number, something that had never happened before.
They are the types of young boys trying to steal the hand bag of an old granny for the first time failing getting hit by said granny and chased down the street and falling over their own feet or into a police officer straight away there is absolutely no danger, no tension - most obvious in the two gang leaders as mentioned already.
Not masculin, not threatening, missing the rough urban grittiness that would be realistically there, no drinking, no swearing, no drugs, way too clean.
But how is it staged here? Boys and girls at dance, EVERYONE (at least it seemed to me like that) gets their mobile phones out and plays with them sitting down on floor, leaning at wall or whatever instead of dancing, flirting etc but Tony and Maria who catch each other's eyes and walk to each other - what the heck was the director thinking with staging such an important moment that way???
I do not get it, it totally ruined that special moment when boy and girl fall in love head over heels. Totally. Absolutely. Fully. I am still angry a few weeks later about that staging.
I do adore the original choreography, some call it outdated, I do not agree with it, and prefer if done classically though if done properly I do not mind it been given a contemporary edge, a more urban street vibe and roughed up (a little) as the fabulous current Berlin production at the Komische Oper but this here is so pseudo modern fake.
It starts already in the clumsy opening scene - this is the prologue setting the basics and all you get is some childish cat fights.
In general the choreography (by Kati Heidebrecht, consultant fight scenes Gerd Bennewitz) lacked an understandable leitmotif which is so essential for me.
I do not care whether a double pirouette or some random breakdance move is done perfectly if there is no intention, no meaning to it.
Look e.g. at original, the tiniest movement has an idea, a thought behind it. The dancing is so important in this show, it is a part of the fights, the anger, all the other emotions the boys cannot express in words.
I also do not get the whole "we add breakdancers and even praise ourselves for that" when they do not add any substance to it. And sorry nothing special to rave about it because other productions have done it and that a hell lot better.
What I found especially ridiculous was that some of, at least it seemed like it, these guys just came onstage for their dance bit. WTF? Come on, make them a part of the gang, they can be mute if they can't sing but leave them onstage so they are one of them.
Besides the importance of dancing the piece also needs a cast that can act the parts - and that is my major issue with this production.
I can accept up to a certain degree casting far too old people with the five leads being an average of late 30s including people who worked with the director Wolf Widder before (I hate this casting people because you know them instead of the right person for the part but hey that is how it is these days - more and more it is more important to know the right people than the suitability) but what I cannot accept are people who are IMHO not right for the part especially after getting the part because knowing someone.
And I loved Kai Bronisch in Villa Sonnenschein but a Bernardo who comes across more as a GQ model and not showing any real spark with "his" Anita is not something I want to see either.
I so missed Markus Maria Düllmann, a brilliant Bernardo in the Halle production, about the same age as Kai Bronisch, but he commanded the stage and had the drive, the hatred towards the Jets, the passion - all I missed here.
Seeing Sigalit Feig (44 btw, so age is not automatically an issue) as Anita in Berlin once more the other week having the fire looking back on Femke's Anita it makes me cringe even more.
There are many ways the part of Tony can be played.
I have seen various interpretation and they all worked. But they should not be played how Raphael Pauß played the part. Or not played it.
Seriously, has this guy ever had an acting class? Do I sound rude?
Am sure I do for some but sorry, that performance was just so painful to watch.
A few days later I actually went to the WSS production in Pforzheim and saw a Tony performance by Julian Culemann so perfect that looking back I am even more upset about what I saw.
He may technically can sing the numbers but his Tony was life-, soul- and bloodless from his first moment on stage.
"Something's Coming" is such a positive optimistic opening song and he seemed to focus more on technique with way too much ferocity and stretching arms in one moments and pointing at himself in next - is that Wolf Widder's and his idea of acting?
It gets worse even when he performs "Maria". Has he ever been in love? If he has he certainly cannot transmit it. Each time he says "Maria" ideally played with emphasising it slightly different every time when saying it I want to feel the love - this raw, fresh feeling of the first true love of an inexperienced young man.
The worst though were the scenes with Andrea Stadel as Maria.
The couple's romantic moments are so wooden and not of a helpless starved amour. Yes, they enunciate their words nicely clearly thinking that is the same as acting. Well, it is not. They fail to strike sparks.
Talking about Andrea Stadel - three words: what the ....
What were they thinking casting her? What a farce.
Yes, that is a harsh word but I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. There is no trace of the young vulnerable and innocent Puerto Rican girl that has so quickly grown up by end when she speaks to the two gangs - never ever was that speech so poor - where was the despair, the grief, the anger?
Not that her singing was much better with too much opera technique, too little musical acting capabilities in her voice totally lacking power and purity.
She cannot capture at all the torn between first love and despair trying to not disappoint her family. Nearly everything sounds the same - the character goes through such a heavy turmoil and there she sings as if never felt anything.
And if she already has to sing "Somewhere" and not Rosalia, somehow an interesting idea but it is for most of the number just her singing it while Tony head in her lap and sung with so little sadness and hope which so needs to be expressed at the same time.
The Jets and Sharks seemed like random characterless gang members. None are really memorable in their own right, not even loony Action.
They roamed the stage like lost boys, are way too clean cut, too well polished, too suburban, too nice. "Gee, Officer Krupke" was performed with so much dullness and without attitude - I was bored by the end of that number, something that had never happened before.
They are the types of young boys trying to steal the hand bag of an old granny for the first time failing getting hit by said granny and chased down the street and falling over their own feet or into a police officer straight away there is absolutely no danger, no tension - most obvious in the two gang leaders as mentioned already.
Not masculin, not threatening, missing the rough urban grittiness that would be realistically there, no drinking, no swearing, no drugs, way too clean.
What also did not add up where the costumes and the set. Again it felt like "let's spend money" and not "make it work to support the piece", particularly the Sharks outfits in its bright colours looked like them being either pimps or directly escaped from the 80s - even Don Johnson's suits in Miami Vice didn't look that flashy. The costumes of the Sharks' girls were also rather, well, radiant - nothing anyone in current days (if you already try to move it to these) would wear.
I could go on and add a lot more things why this production fails for me but I actually prefer to forget about that disaster.
I could go on and add a lot more things why this production fails for me but I actually prefer to forget about that disaster.
Well, if you have seen the show before and expect to moved like before you most probably will be disappointed and talking to this older guy next me who saw the first (!!!!!) West End production that is very likely as he also didn't like it.
If you haven't and have no expectations you may though - I urge you though go to Halle/Saale or some other theatre as Pforzheim this season or in future season where you will see something's more enchanting.
Am off to finish my post about the Pforzheim production to reminiscence about a good one...
If you haven't and have no expectations you may though - I urge you though go to Halle/Saale or some other theatre as Pforzheim this season or in future season where you will see something's more enchanting.
Am off to finish my post about the Pforzheim production to reminiscence about a good one...
