West Side Story: Sharks Speak Spanglish

Five, Six, Siete, Ocho! The ever-popular play "West Side Story" is returning to Broadway a half century after its 1957 debut. This time The Sharks are actually going to ....gasp... speak Spanish!  Director Arthur Laurents came up with the revolutionary idea of having the Puerto Rican gang slip in some Spanglish this go-round after hearing how great the original show was when executed en español.  Ay dios mio! it only took fifty years to come up with that bright idea. Laurents explains his Spanish plan here:

They will speak Spanish where they would naturally. The scenes with the Spanish are wildly exciting because they are much less inhibited. I don’t think many eyes are going to stray to the translation.

Laurents is relying on some Latin flava to keep things interestante (coincidentally, right after The Heights won big at the Tony's). The part of Maria hasn't been cast yet but Laurents assures us it will be played by a true blue (or should we say red and blue) Latina. Any thoughts on who should get the part? [New York Times]

Just play it cool, chico....real chévere..

Photo via United Artists Corporation

Tags arthur Laurents, Sharks, West Side Story