BLASPHEMY: SPIELBERG'S WEST SIDE STORY IS BETTER!

A couple of years ago, I finally broke down, gave in, call it what you will, and watched Stephen Spielberg's 2021 treatment of the beloved musical West Side Story.  While I had a few issues with it (minor ones) I'm incurred the wrath of millions of people . . . okay, tens of people by saying "This is actually a better movie than the 1961 classic."  <insert mic drop here>  

Having said that, I will admit I completely pushed the original film out of my mind before watching it.  Completely.  Entirely.  I approached this new "version" as an entirely separate beast, which, others may dispute, indeed, several have argued with me on this, but that's exactly what it is. 

Tony Kushner's new script treatment gives the characters plausibility, depth and motivation for ther actions that move the familiar Romeo and Juliet story along to its tragic conclusion.

Visually, the film is stunning delivering both eye-popping color and amazingly muted tones transporting us to the era of the story.  Two examples:  The Dance which sets up the romance between Tony and Maria.  I couldn't help but think of the hyperrealism and color schemes in David Lynch's Wild at Heart as well as Twin Peaks. Then,there was the muted greenish hues of Maria and Tony on the Subway, which brought a bit of genuine gravity to the young lovers as they're about to move into the darkness of Tony's backstory.  Both scenes, along with America and much more - flowed with an organic kind of storytelling I found both hypnotic and wildly exciting.

Did I miss Jerome Robbins iconic choreography?  Nope.  The dance here (which seems to incorporate or approximate Robbins' to some degrees) was perfect for this story.  Again, it's a different movie . . . comparisons need not be made.  At least not by me.

The singing was, overall, far better than what was heard in the snippets and clips during the promotions and all of the film's trailers.  Ansel Elgor has a real voice and it blooms  - beautifully - at the top of his range. I was mildly disappointed by his throwing away of certain phrases, usually heard at the beginnings of his songs. This was, for a voice fanatic, a bit of an oversight that should have been caught by someone during the coaching of the role.  Did it ruin anything for me? Nah, and it's a quibble likely to be missed by the general public, and the kid, when it mattered, could pull off his songs winningly.

Rachel Zegler also fared better than the clips I heard beforehand, though at the top of the range she does pull some, albeit very mild, Christina Aguilera-type breathiness and an unnecessary (and unwritten) melisma or two. But, she's scrappy, lovely and tragic and that's what matters most here, isn't it? 

I found the characters of Riff, Anita, Bernardo, Chino all vivid and believable . . . and well performed.  I have to say, I was bowled over by original cast member, Rita Moreno now in the new role of Valentina.  It was a stroke of genius, and Moreno's performance which began with a wisp of heart warming nostalgia, grew into something emotionally shattering. 

There is so much more to comment on, but never enough time. I plan on rewatching this one in the future and I'm certain there will be even more  that I've thught about by then. But, the chief take away for me remains: I was one hundred percent surprised by just how moved I was by Spielberg's skill and efforts to retain, respect, and ultimately recreate a legend. Aside Just about everything about this movie feels right.  

Maestro: A Love Letter to Lenny

I just finished watching Bradley Cooper's film on Leonard Bernstein. It was not at all what I was expecting, and, in fact, I went in with a lot of hesitation. For one thing I was not expecting a love story, and I'm one who fairly loathes and avoids love stories, generally. Even more unexpectedly, Maestro, went straight to my heart. Having not particularly cared for most of Mr. Cooper's roles or films, I've always felt there was a great actor often miscast in mediocre movies and crude comedies. Every once in a while, however, a role came through that confirmed for me something great was coming.  This was that something.  Cooper's style of filmmaking - at least for this motion picture - is pure, old-fashioned Hollywood. So much so in fact, the entire first half, shot in vivid black and white, with its period costumes, decor and sense of style, made had the feel and look like a classic film. So, seeing him co-write, direct and act in a project with this much care, attention to detail and understanding of the medium was . . . well, rather beautiful.

The transition from black and white to color was almost imperceptible . . . it just happened, no segue, no waking up in Oz, but nonetheless there was a clear delineation which divided the two distinct halves of the film.  

I've heard much made about the falseness of Lenny and Felicia's relationship, the sham marriage, and more. This I find to be nonsense, entirely missing the point of how despite the complexities, the difficulties (and not only sexually) that two people can love each other this deeply, this profoundly.  The chemistry between Cooper and Carrie Mulligan was, at least to these tired old eyes, pure magic. The courtship had me smiling, imagining them both that young, with all manner of hopes and dreams for their respective careers, but really not a clue how all of this would play out in real time and on the world stage. 

There are accusations of the film not going gay enough, which I also find rather a bit of nonsense. One needn't look too far back to see a far different reality for gay life than we are witness to today. And again, the film was essentially about the Bernstein marriage more than it was anything else, including his career, for which we already have recordings, films, and countless books, articles, and essays which, more adquately address that aspect of his life and career than is possible in a theatrically released movie.  My Bernstein Bible will always be the Harvard lecture series The Unanswered Question - over thirteen hours of Lenny sharing with us, probing beneath the surface of nearly every aspect of the why, how, when and more of music.  

Ms. Mulligan gives, hands down, perhaps the finest, most bravura performance of an actress I've seen on-screen this year. I can't think of a performance I've loved as much. Mulligan's Felicia is presented as a beautiful, charming, and gifted, strong willed woman whose smile, voice and style would captivate anyone. Regardless of his sexuality, it was easy to see why Lenny fell for her.  Similarly, regardless of knowing his sexuality, one could just as easily see why she fell for him.  

This is not a movie about Bernstein as a conductor, or composer, or classical superstar - although all of those elements are wed into the story (how could they not be). We don't witness his triumphs in Vienna, Rome, Israel, Munich, Paris or London, but instead the story about the marriage of Lenny and Felicia. Indeed, nearly every scene in the film revolves around their lives, their decisions, their love story, thorns and all.

If the first half felt like a sweet romantic comedy involving two larger-than-life figures, the second, which developed the ongoing difficulties, Felicia's illness, Lenny's insecurities working their way into everything, and even poisoning some things, I often felt as though I was a voyeur, intruding on moments too private and not meant for my eyes.  Of course great art can do that to us . .. it's part of its job. 

The large supporting cast feels handpicked and appropriate to the era, especially Sarah Silverman as Lenny's sister, Shirley.

While Bernstein's music is ever present as (most of) the soundtrack, the music, for the most part, takes a back seat to the story of Lenny and Felicia. But, when the music does drop in, it is in moments that can sweep us away. The dance rehearsal of On The Town, when, through the magic of film, Lenny transforms from smiling observer alongside Felicia, to a sailor showboating for his lady love is absolutely magical.  In a different vein, the Ely Cathedral Mahler 2nd - Resurrection - ends in a triumph that segues us into the most difficult and last leg of this beautiful film.

I'm not ashamed to say that, several times, Maestro hit me like a suckerpunch, and had me in tears, and involuntarily sending my hand to my heart..

Mr. Cooper's effort, as well as those of the cast and production team, reveal this as a labor of love . . . a love letter to a man I've loved and revered since boyhood, and was one of the  people who shaped my own relationship to music. It doesn't get much more personal than that. 

Sean Penn as Leonard Bernstein?

Martin Scorsese is planning a biopic of Leonard Bernstein. Now, Who should play ol' Lennie? My choice would be Sean Penn. I doubt he'd get the role, but I have to ask, why not give him a try?

Bernstein's Exquisite Peter Pan

“Peter Pan” was a score I was once in love with, heard live in concert performance, but which I (as well as many others) have put in the back of the memory banks.

While I no longer have the original cast LP, the discussion had me pull out a wonderful five year old recording on Koch Classics I’d also not paid much attention to, but which I’ve played a number of times the past few days and have fallen in love with this score – to the point of being enthralled enough that I’d wish someone would mount a major revival of this Peter Pan. The score is an absolute gem.

The first song is Wendy’s lullaby “Who Am I?” – a lovely, lyrical piece but showing Bernstein’s penchant for difficulty of extremes of range requiring a singer who can sustain some hushed, piano high notes. Similarly, Wendy has more high note challenges – keeping them within the scope of the hushed music in the exquisitely tender “Build My House.” Bernstein’s mastery of this kind of music produces a sort of swoon in the orchestration that spills over into the listener of this most beautiful song. The lyrics themselves raise this far, far beyond a mere children’s story –

Make the ceiling strong
Strong against the storm
Shelter when the days grow shorter
But build my house of love,
And paint my house with trusting.
And warm it with the warmth of your heart.
Make the floor of faith.
Make the walls of truth
Put a roof of peace above.
Only build my house of love.

They fit right in with the universal, almost archetypical themes Bernstein yearningly makes in nearly all of his stage works from West Side Story to A Quiet Place. A bit more wistful is Wendy’s closing song “Dream With Me” though still hardly your typical Broadway ballad. (And it’s a wonderful final number).

As stated this was a “play with music” – NOT a “musical” in the sense we think of today. Historically, this sort of “score” harkens back to the great theatre music composed by Beethoven, Grieg, Debussy, Mendelssohn – a sort of lost practice that (with few exceptions) is just not much enjoyed anymore. A pity.

Though the songs come few and far between (and no spoken dialogue is offered in the recordings) there appear to be three principal singing roles: Wendy, Captain Hook and the chorus. As with Wendy and Hook, Bernstein has given challenging, difficult and exquisitely atmospheric music for the choristers. (Some will note how the women’s chorus “Neverland” has a hypnotic, almost Philip Glass-like minimalism – even in the manner Bernstein chooses to end the song. (Can’t tell me Glass was not familiar with this score!)

Similarly the chorus for The Pirate Song – provides wonderful, rhythmically comical work for the men with a sort of built-in theatrical bravura aria for Captain Hook.

Hook gets it even better in “Captain Hook’s Soliloquy” – called a “song” – it is in every other way but title an “aria” (and has been picked up by operatic baritones, and recorded as such by no less than Thomas Hampson). Again, though set for a “children’s story.” – the dark inward look and psychological insights Hook sings of would confuse almost any child. But for grown ups it is glorious stuff.

Hook and his henchmen get another doozey of a tune in the hilarious “Plank Round” (a wonderful bit where every line rhymes with “plank” – and the accompaniment is a brilliantly minor-key rendition of the opening of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. Genius – and guaranteed to put a smile on yer mug!

With such wonderful songs as these, the bulk of Bernstein’s “Pan” score falls to the incidental music and overall, it is a rich score full of surprises, and covering a wide range of emotions. Melodically, rhythmically and theatrically we hear a lot of Bernstein’s ideas we’d hear earlier and later from “On the Town,” “West Side Story,” as well as from his symphonic works.

In the new(ish) recording, the original orchestrations by Trude Rittman and Hershy Kay are expanded upon by a team led by Alexander Frey, who also restored and edited the score. Broadway/Pop soprano Linda Eder, baritone Daniel Narducci and an uncredited (but wonderful) chorus join the Amber Chamber Orchestra under Frey’s leadership in a reading that is atmospheric, respectful of the original, and (sigh) just a real treat to spend some time with.

A “bonus” comes in the form of “Spring Will Come Again” a lovely, but forgotten song Bernstein composed for – but dropped from Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth.”

This recording was clearly a labor of love and the efforts are well worth it. For anyone looking for some off-the-beaten-path, wonderful, music, some delightful and touching unfamiliar songs I can’t recommend this recording highly enough.