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| Superstar83 |
Tony or Riff?Based on the movie (I haven't seen the stage version ), which character do you like best? I like Riff, just because he seems more interesting to me and seems to be more exciting than Tony...I know that if I was a guy and was going for a part in WSS I'd want to play Riff more.
What about you? |
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| CJK_86 |
Definitely Riff.
Tony and Maria's characters are so boring. Though, they are the main part of the story, I think they are the weakest part of the story. |
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| LaurelDP |
Tony's part is so boring. The entire star crossed lovers part of the story is pretty boring.
The gang violence is where it's at. |
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| Fantine |
Tony is such a wuss. | ||||
| RainbowJude |
Tony or Riff?
I like the character of Tony better, because he dares to imagine a life beyond the gangs. And I think, as an actor, you can create a really interesting character using the tension between that dream and the very real circumstances that keep Tony from realising it. I think that Richard Beymer, in the film, was (like most of the cast) too old and pretty bland. Russ Tamblyn as Riff certainly gives a better performance. Although I think the dramatic flow is great in the restructured screenplay, I think that Robbins and Wise were too focused on (a) preserving the choreography on film and (b) the gimmick of the real locations. For me, this diluted the performances that should be at the heart of this production. I also don't like the moments where numbers end with the cast members looking directly at the camera - I find that these pull me out of the reality of the story. Later days David |
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| medicman |
Depends on what you're looking for..Riff has a bit more stage time. Tony has the more "mushy" parts of the show. Personally I would want to be Riff. I wanted to be a Jet, had to be a Shark. Good thing we did the movie version of "America" or I would have been so bored. |
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| One Song Glory |
Personally, I'm all for Bernardo  but in this case, I'd say Riff is more interesting. He's very energetic, kind in your face...but all in all he's a good guy. I do like Tony though, but he deserves getting a slap in the face from Doc, because half the time he's out in la la land... still a likeable guy, I suppose... but Riff definitely has more of a prescence.
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| ACTing up |
i like tony. he's down to earth and has some great songs to show off his voice. plus, his looks aren't half bad, either
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| actor05 |
I would love to be Riff | ||||
| badbananahabit |
I think the roles in the film were well cast.
When I first saw the film I was thinking that Russ Tamblyn just didn't have the features to carry of the lead-role in a "Romeo and Juliet"-style play, I was relieved to find that Riff was not the lead role. I do prefer the gang songs to Tony's songs. |
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| Bill_Calhoun |
I have played both Riff and Tony in scratch performances (one the day after the other, fun!), and Riff is definatly a funner character to play 
But Tony has such beautiful songs, and he is so much more passionate than Riff 
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| Jennifer Lynn |
Re: Tony or Riff?
Well said! Even Beymer expressed bemusement that "I was a kid from Iowa trying to pass myself off as a tough ex-gang leader." I'll reiterate something I said in an old, vanished post...many people claim that the lovers are the blandest part of the show. (That's a criticism that sometimes plagues the source material--some critics claim that all the life in Romeo and Juliet dies with Mercutio.) But it shouldn't be that way. More importantly, it doesn't HAVE to be. Too many Tonys just copy Beymer as a dreamy pretty boy...but remember, this is a former gang member. He does want more and is capable of reaching for more, but his past and his propensity for violence is always part of him. That's what takes over during the rumble, with such tragic results. If that isn't brought out, then it's going to be a mystery why this perfectly nice young man was driven to murder. The only time Beymer's Tony actually hits this note is when Bernardo is taunting him, he automatically snaps into fighting stance...and then looks at his clenched fists in horror and disbelief. In one of the best productions I've seen, Tony took it much further...his "DON'T PUSH ME!" just before all hell broke loose wasn't a wimpy plea, but a desperate warning...he knew only too well what he was capable of when pushed. You might want to visit JerseyJohn's WSSOnstage site. There's a terrific essay on the stage versus the movie version which contains some excellent insights into Tony and Maria (even though he seems to lay a little too much blame at Maria's feet). Read it at: http://www.wssonstage.com/MakingNice.html And speaking of Maria...if an actress can really bring out the fact that she, too, is longing for more than the kind of life her elders (and that even includes her not-much-older brother) have planned for her, it would add even more spark to the relationship. She and Tony have that in common...they are both longing to break out of the mold. I mean, think about it...she comes from a culture, where, it seems that marriages are often arranged (none of her peers seem to be subject to this, but perhaps she's the youngest daughter and her parents are old-fashioned). Love is expected to come after marriage for her. But she wants more out of life, wants real, mutual love, wants someone she can be a real partner to...and she finds that in Tony. If Tony had never come along, I imagine she would have gone along with the marriage to Chino out of duty to her parents' wishes, and tried hard to love him...but because she wanted more, deep in her heart, would only have ended up unhappy. Perhaps, despite the tragedy, it was better to have had that moment, "even if it only lasts from one night to the next"? |
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| La Carmagnole |
'nuff said. |
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| what_the_heck013 |
I like Tony's songs better so my pick is for Tony. "Could be... Who knows?" | ||||
| Etoile |
I don't like Tony at all. He's a dolt just like Romeo only not as poetic. When I went to see the show everyone in the audience laughed when he died. | ||||
| Salome |
that wasnt the role it was the actor f****** up the role. out of all the male leads..Bernardo gets my vote. Moderator Edit... Please refrain from using expletives... |
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| MsDivaKate |
I would love Bernardo too, and usually do, however the one time I actually performed in this show our Bernardo couldn't seem to get the Puerto Rican accent and ended up sounding....Irish.....Oh it was bad....very bad. But the rest of the show was actually ok. Though I tend to think about that whenever I see a production of this and usually laugh inside a little. |
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| Dancing-Fool |
I personally love Riff because I consider my strentgh to be dancing over singing and Riff has alot of great dancing an acrobatic moves. | ||||
| Mr_X |
I mean there are pros and cons of both parts.
Pros of Tony: Great songs No dancing Kissing (sometimes a deciding factor for guys) Has great acting moments in the show and great moments for character development Cons of Tony: No involvement with Jets or Sharks Acting is either hit or miss; the audience either cries when he dies or laughs Is probably the most depressed character in the show Pros of Riff: Great dancing role Comic lead Basically a character actor; not much character development needed Cons of Riff: Not much character development Only in the first act (and the Somewhere Ballet depending on the staging) Personally I think it depends on the person. If you're a pretty good dancer and love character acting, then Riff is right. If you want a challenge and some great vocals, then Tony is right. |
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| audreydarling |
umm..well I think Riff is probably a more fun character..and I adore the Jet gang as a whole (but I like the Shark girls more), but Tony has gorgeous songs and is the romantic lead. I like Riff's character more, because it seems more real than Tony's, who's character would be awesome if it wasn't unrealistic (I don't know many guys who would proclaim their love to me under my balcony, much less with the romantic air of a West Side Story melody or a Shakespearean sonnet) I wish, that would be pretty awesome. |