Camille Playhouse will host the production of “West Side Story,” a musical inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” that takes place during the 1950s in New York City.
Two teenagers, Tony and Maria, from opposing gangs fall in love as their friends and family battle one another, long for “a place for us… somewhere,” according to camilleplayhouse.net.
The musical will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20, 21 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Sept. 22.
Chris Ikner, executive artistic director of Camille Playhouse, said they decided on this play because it is an important story for the Rio Grande Valley community.
“I think the themes are really relevant and I think it’s really, really powerful and really, really exciting for a season opener,” Ikner said.
His message for the community is to attend the play and experience the show in a way it has never been seen before.
Choreographer Caty Wantland said she uses visual references to Jerome Robbins, the original choreographer of the play.
“I never want to replicate another person’s work,” Wantland said. “I want for audiences to be able to come and see a whole new experience even if they’ve seen “West Side Story” a million times.”
She drew influences from classical ballet, postmodern dance and different Latin American cultures, and tried to fuse them together to create a language that spoke to the angst and aggression of the story.
The cast includes UTRGV biology junior Johnathan Gonzalez, theatre freshman Viviana Franco and theatre junior Kiryat Castillo.
Gonzalez will play Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks gang. To get into his role, Gonzalez said he tries to understand who his character is and re-reads the script to get the feel of how his persona would react in certain situations.
“I watch videos constantly trying to get that Puerto Rican accent, like, on point,” he said. “So, I’m in the car going to work, school, just like practicing, practicing, practicing.”
Gonzalez said the show is breathtaking and incredible.
“The way we’ve all come together and made this production what it is now is just incredible,” he said. “It’s honestly become one of my favorite productions.”
Camille Playhouse is located at 1 Dean Porter Park in Brownsville. To purchase tickets, visit camlleplayhouse.net
–Robert Benavidez Jr. contributed to this report.
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