A number of brilliant directorial choices make the first act of Nocturne Theatre’s West Side Story so thrillingly innovative that it comes as a disappointment that some less inspired ones in Act Two end up diminishing the overall impact of this otherwise impressive in-the-round revival of the 1957 Broadway classic.

 It becomes clear from the get-go that there won’t be anything paint-by-numbers about Justin Meyers’ direction of the Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim-Arthur Laurents ground-breaker, the show-opening “Jet Song” introducing us not just to the members of rival West Side gangs The [Anglo] Jets and The [Puerto Rican] Sharks but to a subway motif that will pay off to shocking, unexpected effect in the musical’s devastating Act One finale.

It’s from New York’s underground trains (an imaginative mix of movable set pieces and skimpily clad female cast members) that Jets and Sharks emerge from (quite literally) opposite sides of the tracks before launching into dance moves (Melissa Schade’s electrifying blend of Jerome Robbins’ iconic choreography and her own) that quickly turn into realistic fight action that remind us it’s life or death we’re talking about here.

Romeo stand-in Tony (Jordan Iosua Taylor) makes his first appearance not simply singing “Something’s Coming” (as the number is customarily performed) but dancing along to it as well, and since there can be no Romeo without Juliet, we then meet Maria (Alexa Rosengaus) and her bff Anita (Liana Rose Vertudela) as the former dons the party dress the latter has designed for Maria’s very first dance in the U.S.

And what a dance that turns out to be, director Meyer and costume designer Koalani Walkoe reconceiving it as a “Romeo And Juliet Ball,” hosted by Glad Hand (Joe Salling) in William Shakespeare wig and beard.

Gone therefore is the traditional 1950s party wear we’ve seen again and again and in their place the kind of fantasy garb that’s become an integral part of the Nocturne brand, and no matter that it strains credibility that the tough guy Jets and Sharks would be into cosplay, it’s an excitingly original choice nonetheless.

 Tony and Juliet’s famed balcony scene gets transformed midway into a fantasy sequence that allows the couple to sing and dance center stage, and as previously mentioned, the Act Two-concluding rumble takes place not out in the open but in the cramped spaces of the New York subway platforms, and the moving train payoff is a stunner as is Tony’s shockingly violent reaction to it.

All of this brilliant innovation had me thinking at intermission that this West Side Story reinvention might end up one of the year’s best productions.

Act Two, unfortunately, doesn’t work nearly as well.

Having Maria sing “Somehere” (rather than an unnamed soprano soloist) is an inspired touch, but costuming the dream dancers in snow-white Renaissance Faire frills and frocks had me asking myself, “Why?”

I did like the improvised costumes in “Gee, Officer Krupke,” the comic relief song that was a must in the 1950s, and Maria and Anita’s duet of “A Boy Like That” is as powerful as it’s ever been.

Not so “the scene at Doc’s,” staged with such kid gloves as to make Anita’s decision to get back at her tormentors with a vicious and ultimately life-destroying lie seem almost unmotivated. (The scene doesn’t need so far as to suggest actual rape, but it needs to be played far more violently than it is here.)

Finally, though I can understand the possible reasoning behind jettisoning the musical’s “feel better” ending, fading to black on Maria cradling Tony is too much of a rewrite for this reviewer, not the least because the last minute of Bernstein’s score ends up getting played over … nothing. (And the reappearance of two “ghosts” during the scene doesn’t help.)

On the decidedly plus side, the role of Tony allows Nocturne favorite Taylor to prove himself both a fine singer and talented dancer, the exquisite Rosengaus makes for a touching, gloriously voiced Maria, and a sensational Vertudela is a fiery stunner as Anita.

Jets Riff (Jesse Graham), Action (Kong Vang), Big Deal (Patrick Fitzsimmons), Baby John (Robbie Mero Canevari), A-Rab (Carson Christ), and Salling (Big Deal), and Sharks Bernardo (Zachary Balagot), Chino (Jewell Valentin), and Pepe (Lee Baladejo) have what it takes to convince us they’re gang members who can sing and dance as well as they can rumble.

 Anybodys (Sam Tilley), Graziella (Dani Yousefivand), Velma (Nicole Geis), Consuela (Chelsea Piñero), and Rosalia (Kasey Hentz) sizzle as well, and Stamford Hill (Doc), Salling (Lt. Schrank), and Meyer (Officer Krupke) acquit themselves nicely in adult cameo roles.

Nolan Monsibay scores points for his spot-on music direction, Jay Michael Roberts for his ingenious scenic design, Meyer for his striking lighting, and Matt Merline for his crystal-clear sound engineering.

Mackenzey Franklin is associate choreographer and Micah Delhauer is assistant lighting designer and stage management. Casting is by Meyer2Meyer Entertainment. Brayden Hade is casting assistant.

 West Side Story may be The Nocturne Theatre’s first foray into 1950s Broadway, but there’s nothing at all creaky about the company’s latest.

It may not be as successful at reimagining a classic as last year’s Cabaret was, but by daring to take chances with a show as iconic as West Side Story, The Nocturne once again proves itself an exciting addition to the L.A. musical theater scene.

The Nocturne Theatre, 324 N. Orange St., Glendale. Through March 23. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00. Sundays at 1:30. Also Thursday March 13 and Wednesday March 19 at 7:30.
www.TheNocturneTheatre.com

–Steven Stanley
March 2, 2025
Photos: The Nocturne Theatre

Tags: Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Los Angeles Theater Review, Stephen Sondheim