What did Spielberg keep and what did he update when reviving the West Side Story?

The spirit of the choreographer inherited

First, the historical background. True to the original, set in the 1950s. Just as in 1961's West Side Story, an aerial shot of Manhattan descended to the ground after the famous opening title by Saul Bass, this time too the camera descends from the sky to a certain point in New York. do. It's a blighted area under development. This work is set in the mid-1950s, when construction of Lincoln Center, located southwest of Central Park and home to the Metropolitan Opera House, was about to begin. The original composer, Leonard Bernstein, has also performed in concert at Lincoln Center, and the opening shows respect for that part.

What was also important in the 1961 version was the timing at which the cast began dancing during the first number, ``Prologue.'' So-called "delinquent" young people parade around the city, displaying ballet-like movements. How can I overcome the obvious discomfort? The current version of ``West Side Story'' has almost the same timing, and its movements are similar to the 1961 version. It seems that following the original was important in leading him to the world of musicals all at once.

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Jerome Robbins choreographed both the Broadway version and the 1961 film. In contrast to the style that incorporated classical ballet movements, which was innovative for a musical at the time, this time's choreographer, Justin Peck, kept Robbins' movements in key points, but basically erased the classical elements and created a more Incorporating energetic and stylish movements. Peck is active in the same New York City Ballet as Robbins, and is aware that he has inherited Robbins' "soul," so he seems to have been able to evolve freely. You can also discover choreography that is faithful to the original, such as the scene where the two main characters, Maria and Tony, meet.

Subtle changes in song order and important changes in singing roles