The snap of fingers echoed through Goldstein Auditorium as the curtain rose on First Year Players’ ‘West Side Story’ last night.

‘West Side Story,’ the classic Broadway musical, is a spin on Shakespeare’s classic ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ as Tony of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, the sister of the leader of the rival Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks.

This year’s performance marks the 15th anniversary of the First Year Players, a group that puts on an annual production featuring freshman actors and upperclassmen.

‘I thought all the freshmen actors were really good,’ said Alisa Lopano, senior graphic arts major. ‘It looked like they modeled it a lot off the Broadway version.’

The chemistry among the actors was apparent from the very first scene, the famous ‘Jet Song,’ complete with finger snapping and tumbling choreography.

The banter among the gang members, especially the Jets, which takes place during most of the first act, was comical and got a lot of laughs from the audience.

‘The Jets were really cute together,’ said Jessica Infante, senior magazine and history major. ‘They acted just like a tight band of brothers.’

Tony, played by freshman Patrick Kearney, and Maria, played by freshman vocal performance major Aly Ellis, were convincing as two people in love at first sight and convinced the audience that nothing, not even the rivalry and racial tension between the two gangs, could keep them apart.

Their duet ‘One Hand, One Heart’ was one of the most heartfelt parts of the musical and served as a sharp contrast to the main conflict and tension, showcasing the actors’ singing abilities.

‘Tony was so sweet with Maria,’ Infante said. ‘The actors together were believable as a couple.’

Other notable performances were that of Riff, the leader of the Jets, played by James Weirich, and Anita, Maria’s friend, played Ashley Owen. Both Weirich and Owen are freshmen in the College of Arts and Sciences.

‘I really liked Anita’s performance,’ said Taryn Bungei, an undecided freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. ‘She had great chemistry with all the girls and the guys, too.’

The classic ‘I Feel Pretty’ was met with applause from the audience before the song even began, and the playful teasing between the Sharks’ girls was evidence of the rapport among the actors.

The intricate choreography and dancing were performed well, and the actors’ were in sync with each other most of the time.

‘I was actually really impressed with the choreography,’ Infante said. ‘The actors looked experienced, and it looked like they had been practicing for a long time.

The song ‘Gee Officer Krupke’ was a great overall performance by all of the Jets, and showed good comic timing. The song received yells, whistles and extended applause long after the music stopped.

The tension rose as the two rival gangs had their rumble, which results in the death of Maria’s brother Bernardo, played by freshman music industry major Mike Kuhn, at the hands of Tony. The racial undertones of the musical came out strongly as Tony and Maria struggled to stay together amidst their warring friends.

‘Overall, the whole play was wonderful and really true to the original Broadway version,’ Bungei said. ‘The singing sounded great. I would definitely recommend that people come see it.’

If you go

What: First Year Players’ ‘West Side Story’

When: Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.

Where: Goldstein Auditorium

How Much: $4 with SU ID

Published on April 12, 2007 at 12:00 pm