Sound Politics: A Shark and a Jet

June 07, 2007

A Shark and a Jet

Mrs. Shark and I got to see West Side Story at the 5th Avenue Theatre this evening. Pictured with me above is Michael Jablonski, who played the part of Riff.

It was a terrific show and runs through June 19. Try to catch it if you can.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at June 07, 2007 11:31 PM | Email This

Comments

1. So how did you get backstage?

We have tickets for Sunday night. Based on what we saw at the previews, it should be a great show.

Posted by: steve miller on June 8, 2007 06:11 AM

2. Now where's the link showing how you sang with them?

Posted by: PC on June 8, 2007 11:07 AM

3. The song "Officer Krupke" (from West Side Story, 1957) explores the tension between liberal and conservative solutions to societal problems. The gang members are well aware of this debate and play each side off the other. Not much has changed in 50 years.

http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/lyrics/krupke.html

Posted by: Officer Krupke on June 8, 2007 04:32 PM

4. #4: I remember hearing that song for the first time back in the 60's when my mom took us to see a live performance of WWS in L.A. at Occidental college's outdoor theatre. Even back then as a grade-schooler, the lyrics with the liberal description of what ails the wayward kid sounded completely dumb to me! (I started early being a conservative girl, I guess!)

Posted by: Michele on June 8, 2007 06:19 PM

5. The estimable Terry Teachout gave the production a nice review in The Wall Street Journal. Look for it if you have online access.

Posted by: stu on June 8, 2007 06:38 PM

6. These liberals can't do much, but they sure can write some great musicals! Pretty good playwrights, too...

Posted by: murtz on June 8, 2007 10:09 PM

7. You didn't mention that Seattle Police officials and educators are working to use "West Side Story" as a cautionary tale for today's potential gangbangers.

As old as it is (40 plus), the dynamics of gang and ethnic violence (swap Puerto Rican for Mexican), is still fresh today.

Posted by: John Bailo on June 9, 2007 12:24 PM

8. To Conservative-Girl: "Even back then as a grade-schooler, the lyrics with the liberal description of what ails the wayward kid sounded completely dumb to me!"

Well, one has to wonder about your capacity for comprehension, since the song "Gee, Officer Krupke" was obviously a satire where the gang members use every Liberal salve to "explain" their plight. The message really is: no one's buying it! You have to remember that many of New York's leaders in the 1960's emerged from the same poverty (including Leonard Bernstein) as successful people so they weren't really buying the "poor little me" plaint.

West Side Story is actually one about individuals trapped in a situation, but still making individual choices. They are urged both to fight, and also to "walk away". They have opportunities and travails, but in the end each has a choice.

West Side Story a proto-neocon drama? Perhaps...

The lyrics:
http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/lyrics/krupke.html

Posted by: John Bailo on June 9, 2007 12:30 PM