[Monsieur D'Arque]

What would you do differently, if anything?

I have always thought that the song Somewhere should either be sung by Tony and Maria on film, or (and this came from a dream I had) by Doc. It sounds weird, but he's the only one who sees the futility of the concept.

Imagine, as my dream did, Christopher Walken as Doc, driving down the gang-riddled streets in his beat-up car, singing softly to himself as the two lovers harmonize upstairs.

[broadwaybirdie]

I like the whole Doc concept! He is my favorite:)
But I read in this book that its intentional that Doc and Officer Krupke and the other older people don't sing in the show; I think they wanted to represent that adults don't understand young people. something along those lines...

[Monsieur D'Arque]

By the end, Doc has figured it out in his own apocalyptic way- there's no hope now, but there will be eventually. That's why he's the one who hits on it after the "rape."

"You kids make this world lousy!" "But that's the way we found it."

[broadwaybirdie]

ah its so melancholy!
but brilliant.

[Jennifer Lynn]

You're quite right...none of the adults sing a note. In the movie, they ALMOST did...according to the shooting script that came with the DVD, they wanted to give Schrank and Krupke a few couplets during that shot of them in the squad car during the Quintet...Schrank was supposed to have some lines about stopping the rumble, cleaning up the neighborhood, getting these punks, while Krupke responded to each with "right!" Thank the good LORD they didn't go with it. There's a REASON why none of the adults sing...the music, the passion, belongs to the young in this show. It gives a real sense of the generational divide, even if we don't register it consciously.

What I'd like to see in a remake? A better Tony, for one! One who really gives a SENSE of having once been a tough gang leader. Even Richard Beymer himself expressed bewilderment that he could pull it off...and sadly, he was right.

Raid the High School of the Performing Arts for young actors who both look the parts and have the talent, even if it means casting unknowns. (That's the only other problem with the movie...some of the actors do look a bit old to be playing teens.)

And I'm not sure how well it would work onscreen, but seeing the Somewhere Ballet would be superb.

[Monsieur D'Arque]

You want to see them old? Look up Twin Peaks to see Richard Beymer and Russ Tamblyn as adults. Wow.

And as far as the adults never singing, if they can sing anywhere, it'd be "Somewhere." The "Girl on a Balcony" as a detached, random singer never did much for me. The song is so intrinsically related to the show, to make it sung by a Generic Singing Person robs it of a certain something.

[broadwaybirdie]

[Jennifer Lynn]

Oh, of course...but what I mean is the contrast between seeing the gritty streets of New York in a photo-realistic context (as opposed to a stage set) and then going into a dream ballet. I'd love to see it, but it might prove a little jarring in terms of clashing cinematic "languages."

[broadwaybirdie]

oh, I see what your saying. Like, in Carousel they have the beach, which is a ballet-esque place, but New York City wouldn't really work out quite as well.

[rcs]

[Monsieur D'Arque]

I just realized where my inspiration for the adult singing "Somewhere" came from... Tom Waits's famous performance of "Somewhere" on the ASPCA commercials.

[MuzikalThetrFreakXtrodina]

I personally loved the movie and although a remake would be fun, the movie had the original Broadway cast in it. What can compare to that. I would really not like to see a bunch of unknowns just because I don't think that should be where people get their "big breaks". It they really wanted to impress me with nobodys, put them on tour and see how they do on stage. Because frankly stage acting is a lot harder than acting on film.

One, because you're in front of a live audience

Two, there is no room for mistakes. You mess up on camera you can do the shot again.

Three, people on stage have to really be able to act and show emotion through movements not just though their face.

Four, I know how hard stage acting is and how nervewraking (spelling is not my strong suit) it is.

So yeah, you tell me why they should do a remake.

But I do think Christopher Walken as Doc would be a really good choice. But someone said that the music belongs to the youth and they're absolutly correct. But someone also said that some of the actors looked too old well that's because they were the original cast and age doesn't really matter on stage as long as you're not really, really old.

Yeah.

[highkick49]

not now, because lord knows Zac Efron would have to be Tony and that would kill the musical for me, sorry.

[Nettik]

Actually, the movie is NOT one of my favorites. I think I'm one of the few people who really dislikes it.

But basically, they completely changed it to a movie rather than leaving a great deal of the stage appeal in, not to mention I thought all of the gang members looked just a little too clean. I like West Side Story to be a bit gritty, it's not a happy story, and I thought the movie portrayed it to be a bit too pretty.

It's just my opinion on it. There were just little things all throughout the movie that really bothered me.

Plus, they changed "America," which I think is one of the most powerful numbers in the musical because of the way it's portrayed on stage.

So, in a remake, I would definitely make it a bit grungier, at least, and I would definitely have the Somewhere Ballet sequence in it.

[Salome]

I hate "America" in the stage version. its much more powerful and makes more sense in the film when its between Nardo and Anita.

[WSSfan]

If there was a remake of the movie version of West Side Story, it would be disastrous--it would just cut the heart and soul right out of it, imo.

Had WSS come out any later than it did, especially today, the romance scenes between Tony & Maria, Bernardo & Anita, and others would be much more explicitly sexual and a great deal steamier. The fight scenes would've been much more graphic, bloody and gory, the language way harsher, and the prejudice between the two gangs, as well as the harsh attitudes of the cops far more obvious.

The rumble, too, would be far more graphic and bloody; there would've been guns used, rather than switchblades or fisticuffs.

Just afew years ago, Warner Bros. considered putting out a WSS remake of the film version, but the plug was pulled on that.