STREETSIDE RECORDS
Prices good thru April 28, 1900.
The Musical Theatre Associates perform "West Side Story."
Star-crossed lovers give message for all
By Bryce J. Tache
Kansan staff writer
"Could it be? Yes it could. Something's coming. Something good. If I can wait."
— "Something's Coming. West Side Story
Theater lovers have only six more days to wait before "West Side Story," the legendary Broadway hit that transformed "Romeo and Juliet" into a modern-day musical, arrives at the University of Kansas.
The national touring company production of the musical is part of the KU Concert Series. It will be staged at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hock Audio-
Kristen Wilson, Syracuse University sophomore, is taking a semester off to play the character of Anita with the Music Theatre Associates touring company. She said the musical had remained popular since its debut 33
years ago.
"The biggest reason is because it has a message that everyone believes in, and that is that love should overcome the prejudice in society," she said.
years ago.
"West Side Story" tells the story of star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, a white boy and a Puerto Rican girl
By Christopher Cunnyngham Special to the Kansan
The musical was choreographed and directed by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Burke and the book by Arthur Laurents.
Jan Rottinghaus, Wetmore sophomore, said that she had seen previous productions of "West Side Story" and the 1960 movie and that it was one of her favorite musicals.
"I'm a musical fanatic," Rottinghaus said. "I love it. It's really dramatic. I like the fact that it doesn't have a happy ending. It is more tragic than most, and that makes it more realistic."
'Baby' is vintage Waters
John Waters has been America's chief promoter of bad taste for about a decade now, and his latest creation is "Cry Baby," the juvenile-delinquent film to end all juvenile-delinquent films.
MOVIE
review
"If 'Hairspray' was Waters' homage to early 1980s dance shows such as "American Bandstand," then "Cry Baby" is a fan's cry for the sweet-yet-stupid sappiness of films like "I Was A Teenage Delinquent."
The film has everything: hot rots, teen dances, charm school, the game of chicken, teen pregnancy, rumbles, motorcycles, prison, 1958, 1960 girls, songs from "Mary's Doll," who bad and bad boys that are really just misunderstood.
Johnny Depp plays Cry Baby Walker, delinquent and drape. He
Thursday. April 19, 1990 / LIVEWIRE
6B
lives with his white trash clan on the nearby lake, the "Redneck Riviera," and is basically from the wrong side of the tracks.
Enter Allison, played by Amy Lockane, a square who is tired of being good. Her grandmother runs the local charm school, and she sings old fashioned 1940s crooner songs in her room, disgussing, sugary way. She and Cry Baby fall in love and great 1960s cliches beginning fall like stars.
One of John Waters' gifts is his casting, not so much the disparate types he uses but the fact that they actually work well together. Traci Lords gives the performance of her career (which is saying a lot) and Iggy Pop is great as Cry Baby's Uncle.
The real high point of the film is the songs, 1980s-style rockers, some of which were recorded under the auspices of Dave Alvin of the Blasters. They really make the film the perfect homage to the genre and let the audience in on Cry Baby's teen frustrations.
Cunyngham is a Leawood junior majoring In English and film studies.