Bangkok--28 Sep--124 COMMUNICATIONS
For the first time ever in Thailand’s history, a full-fledged Broadway musical comes all the way from the Big Apple to entertain the Big Mango’s anticipant audience
If New York City were a restaurant, Broadway musicals would be its signature dish never ever to be missed. No matter how many times you have frequented the city or how long you have lived in it, you have not been to New York City unless you have seen a Broadway musical.
Broadway performance is hailed to be the most prided and the highest professional form of theater in the United States. A Broadway performance can be either sung or spoken, but the heart and soul of it thrive on the spontaneity delivered through the singing, dancing and music. Because of that, a Broadway performer must be multi-talented and well-versed in the performing arts. He or she must take the role as a singer, an actor and a dancer all at the same time.
In fact, “Broadway” is the name of a street in New York City which is dubbed a theater district as hundreds of Broadway theaters are located on this street. This genre of performance originated on this street and thus became known under the same name as the street itself.
Not all performances originated on Broadway are called a Broadway performance. To be classed as a “Broadway” performance, certain high-standard qualifications must be met. For example, the performance must appeal to a large audience base and must be staged in a large professional theater with 500 seats or more. Without a doubt, any performance that meets such high qualifications is sure to sweep you off your feet.
One of the most famous Broadway musicals in the world, much loved in its home in the United States as much as it is in Europe, is West Side Story, which is knocking on Thailand’s door now, ready to take the Thai audience’s breath away. This is a masterpiece from the late Broadway producer Jerome Robbins who pioneered the genre. His works in direction and choreography have made several Broadway musicals instant hits, such as The King and I, Peter Pan, Fiddler on the Roof, and many more. Ballet-trained and dedicated to modern dance, he was also famous for his ballet choreography. Many of his ballets are still widely performed today.
West Side Story is a particularly high-profile Broadway musical. Debuted at Winter Garden Theater on Broadway street in 1957, the play won the Tony Awards (Broadway’s equivalent of the Oscar) for Best Choreography and Best Set Design in the very next year. After running for a record of 734 performances, West Side Story went on a successful world tour and was made a motion picture which easily scored 10 Oscars.
Joey McKneely, one of the only three directors worldwide to have received the official right from the Jerome Robbins Trust and Foundation to produce this inheritance as an original production, is bringing the contemporary version of this masterpiece to the Bangkok stage.
What sparks West Side Story’s immense success and popularity is its heart-grabbing plot. The story revolves around a conflict between two teenage gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. They fight for control of the neighborhood, and the conflict becomes more complicated as romance between two members of the two gangs gets in the way. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s tragic love story Romeo and Juliet, the story is touching and spellbinding, filled with the much-loved bittersweetness of a romantic tragedy. While the plot is timeless, the set and the scene artfully reflect New York City’s characteristics in the 1950s.
West Side Story is considered the most influential Broadway musical. Before that, it was all lovey-dovey plots. West Side Story took musical to another level by presenting the tougher, more forceful dimension in the story. Up to the present, Broadway musical still remains the most influential arts for the American.
It would be inappropriate not to mention the highlight of the story. The real hero of the play is the music because a musical is not a musical without it. West Side Story is well-known American composer Leonard Bernstein's best-known and best-loved piece of work. Because of his composition, West Side Story is loved for its spectacular music.
Bernstein was a real musical genius who had composed several major hits. His works prove that genuine classics are not necessarily boring or hard to appreciate. As a conductor, he was an overnight success and was the first American conductor to receive international recognition. He was honored by Germany to conduct the historic "Berlin Celebration Concerts" as the Berlin Wall was dismantled in 1989.
Songs from West Side Story composed by Bernstein include “Maria”, “America”, “Somewhere”, “Tonight”, “I Feel Pretty”, and many more. They were, and still are, major hits worldwide. The song “Somewhere" also won a Grammy award for Best Soundtrack in 1985.
For this production in Bangkok, the ballads will be performed under conductor Donald Chan’s direction. On Broadway, his credits include Cabaret, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and Phantom of the Opera. As if that wasn’t enough to make the audience flock to the show, the all-time superstar Gene Kelly from Singing in the Rain also stars in this play!
This October, the West Side Story crew will hit the Big Mango, carrying with them six containers of magnificent sets and props worth over a million US dollars or 40 million Baht. Six nights of awe-inspiring lights, sounds and performance does not happen very often, so, homesick New Yorkers and all you New York lovers out there, let me just remind you that time, tide and tickets wait for none!
**BOXED**
Date and time: October 10-13 at 7:30pm, October 14-15 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
Venue: Thailand’s Cultural Centre
Prices: 5,000, 4,000, 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 Baht
Tickets are available from Thai Ticket Master on 0-2262-3456 or www.thaiticketmaster.com .
American Express Cardmembers can reserve tickets by calling the American Express Applause on 0-2273-5200.
For more information, please contact International Cultural Promotions at 0-2661-6835-7 or visit www.bangkokfestivals.com .
This production is sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, BMW, Dusit Thani Hotel, Thai Airways, iTV, Bangkok Post and OK! magazine.
Media contacts:
Elizabeth Wongwasin [email protected]
Pathomthida Pongleng [email protected]