BY AMELIA LIKEUM, Editor
Romeo and Juliet turn into Tony and Maria for the Kaneland High School’s production of West Side Story, a modern-day version of Shakespeare’s play that involves intense choreography and a lot of singing.
“I really like how much dancing we have in this show,” senior Michael Kinder said.
The musical takes place in the streets New York, where Tony, a friend of the leader of the gang called the Jets, falls in love with the sister of a rival gang member, Maria.
“Maria is my dream role,” junior Kayla Hedgren, who plays Maria, said. “I love that (she) is so innocent and full of love even when she is surrounded by hate.”
The Sharks, Tony’s rival gang, is a Puerto Rican group that is trying to make a home in New York. The gang is led by Maria’s brother, Bernardo.
“[I like] Bernardo and Anita for their accents,” junior John Briggs said.
Tony and Maria meet at a dance, where they instantly fall in love at first site. This sparks the Jets and Sharks to agree on having a rumble to decide who rules the streets.
The rumble is a dance-off between the two gangs. This scene requires a lot of extreme and sharp choreography.
“We actually had to take a crash course in tumbling to choreograph the rumble and the other fight scenes.” Briggs said.
West Side Story will be held on March 15, 16, at 7:00 p.m., and March 17 at 2:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium.