A boy like that (or a few boys, rather)
The new production of West Side Story, at the State Fair courtesy of Dallas Summer Musicals, was re-imagined by the show’s original writer, Arthur Laurents, with the addition of Spanish dialogue and lyrics (from Lin-Manuel Miranda) for the Puerto Rican street gang the Sharks, as well as a timely design: Although a product of the ‘50s — especially evident in Leonard Bernstein’s still-relevant jazz score and dialogue resplendent with daddios talk of hoodlums — this version could just as easily take place today. The Jets, usually so easy to mock for their balletic street fighting, are by-and-large beefier here, more threatening. They may plie like Nureyev, but you sense they’d beat the living crap out of you for making fun of ‘em.
After all that excitement, head into the State Fair for a corny dog. Read the entire review here.
DEETS: Fair Park Music Hall, 901 First St. Through Oct. 23. 8 p.m. $20–$85. DallasSummerMusicals.com.
