West Side Story

West Side Story
Candlelight Dinner Playhouse
Johnstown, CO
September 24 - November 15, 2015

The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse is presenting a season full of classic musicals. Their most recent offering is West Side Story.

The menu was a blend of 1950's American comfort food and Puerto Rican inspired dishes. The desserts were especially good.

The show got off to a dramatic start. The opening sequence was an effective blend of street fighting and dance sequences. While most of the actors were clearly older than their characters, the performances were good enough to let us overlook that fact.

The set was impressive, the street acted as a backdrop of the rest of the scenes. Other sets such as the fire escape, Maria's bedroom and the bridal shop were all swiftly brought onto the stage and removed.

The show itself is still a masterpiece. Every song is a familiar classic. This production doesn't try to improve or modernize the songs, and there is no need for it. The voices were strong and the music soared.

The choreography was also impressive. It is difficult to get gang members to dance believably. The transitions between dancing and fighting aren't seamless, but they do flow together. And the cast has the talent to pull off the exhausting sequences.

West Side Story is a show that everyone should see and productions like this one keep it alive for future generations.