West Bromwich Operatic Society's West Side Story, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre - review with pictures
Newbies to the am dram scene might be a little sceptical about what’s in store at one of these shows. Will it be as good as the ‘professionals’? Am I going to enjoy it as much?
But as soon as members of the West Bromwich Operatic Society opened their mouths, with their spine-tingling notes rippling across Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, those ‘first-time jitters’ were well and truly put to bed.
There was nothing ‘amateur’ about Tuesday's special anniversary performance of timeless musical West Side Story - the tale of New York street gangs the Jets and the Sharks, inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Maybe the dancing wasn’t entirely polished in parts but the singing was nothing short of incredible. Jessica Williams, who took her first adult lead role as Maria, hit the high notes with such ease and perfection. While Emma Wetherall, who returned to the company after a year away following the birth of her third child, commanded the stage with confidence and charisma as she transformed into a very convincing Anita.
Accompanied by the talented Midland Concert Orchestra, the cast delivered iconic songs including Maria, America, I Feel Pretty and Somewhere. Undoubtedly, the tongue-in-cheek performance of Gee, Officer Krupke turned out to be a firm favourite with the crowd, getting the first big cheers of the night from the audience.
Slight issues with the orchestra’s backing music overpowering the on-stage vocals were soon smoothed over, with the cast’s American and Puerto Rican accents shining through. The final scenes were completely captivating, so much so the dramatic firing of a gun was met with shrills from unsuspecting theatre-goers.
It was a particularly special opening night for the company, which will be celebrating its 80th anniversary with a string of extra shows this week. It also marks what would have been West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday.
To think many of these performers are squeezing in rehearsals between hectic full-time jobs or busy study schedules is pretty inspiring. An all-round great performance from some of the region’s finest homegrown talent.
