Daniel Spogis / Rezensionen

Guest star Virginia Blanco gives this character, musically designed as a tragic opera heroine, with her girlish charisma and her radiant voice the necessary creative depth. Guest star Markus Schneider shapes Tony with his musical tenor as a youthful idealist and romantic who, shortly before he is shot by a member of the Sharks, has to hear that Maria is dead and who will eventually die in her arms. Lea Kirn as Anita initially embodies the optimistic immigrant ("I want to be in America"), but when she is almost raped by the jets, she brings about the tragic turn. The dance ensemble convinces with half-strength typical body language and acrobatic fight scenes. The Latin American dances in the dance hall vary the lyrical melodies. The dance ensemble, consisting of 20 people, impresses with perfectly choreographed dance scenes and individual drawings. The director has reduced the dialogues to a minimum and instead works with body language. How the other dancers multiply the love scene between Tony and Maria and how gang members of the Jets and the Sharks carry the dead Tony down the aisle is really big theater and moves you to tears. The orchestra, like the singers, is amplified electronically. The sound comes from huge loudspeakers to the right and left of the stage. Thanks to the fact that everyone involved was vaccinated or tested, director Anja Nicklich was able to develop a completely normal directing concept. It tells the story with German dialogues and English songs with German surtitles, into which the dance scenes fit organically. It was a special kind of open-air festival experience and a wonderful vacation day. Only it got a bit chilly in the course of the evening, so we were glad to have a blanket with us. The first 12 rows are covered.