“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.”
No translation necessary.
Posted on 07/18/2008 9:08:15 AM PDT by Borges
More than 50 years after the musical “West Side Story” had its original Broadway premiere, it is set to return in February in a darker, grittier, bilingual revival, the show’s producers said on Wednesday.
In an element that its director, Arthur Laurents, said would heighten the passion and authenticity of the show, much of the dialogue — both spoken and sung — will be in Spanish.
“They will speak Spanish where they would naturally,” Mr. Laurents said in a telephone interview from his home in Quogue, N.Y., adding that supertitles would be used to aid the audience. “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.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
This doesn’t bother me, in fact it probably lends a bit of authenticity to the Sharks, being a hispanic gang. It’s more unrealistic to take Natalie Wood, paint her brown, and present her as Puerto Rican. :)
This will go south as fast if not faster than Paul Simon’s debacle did.
I tend to agree. It’s not gratuitous since the conflict between the gangs is one of the primary themes and this will just make the conflict more intense. The movie was truly horrible.
not really. 50 years ago people were actually integrating into society, even the low lifes.
I always liked this song.
Officer Krupke?
Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke
You gotta understand
It’s just our bringin’ upke
That gets us out of hand
Our mothers all are junkies
Our fathers all are drunks
Golly Moses, naturally we’re punks
JETS
Gee, Officer Krupke
We’re very upset
We never had the love
That every child oughta get
We ain’t no delinquents
We’re misunderstood
Deep down inside us there is good
RIFF
There is good!
JETS
There is good, there is good
There is untapped good
Like inside, the worst of us is good
Dear kindly Judge, your Honor
My parents treat me rough
With all their marijuana
They won’t give me a puff
They didn’t wanna have me
But somehow I was had
Leapin’ lizards, that’s why I’m so bad
Right! Officer Krupke
You’re really a square
This boy don’t need a judge
He needs an analyst’s care
It’s just his neurosis
That oughta be curbed
He’s psychologically disturbed
RIFF
I’m disturbed
JETS
We’re disturbed, we’re disturbed
We’re the most disturbed
Like we’re psychologically disturbed
SNOWBOY IMITATING JUDGE
Hear ye, hear ye. In the opinion of this court, this child is depraved on account he ain’t had a normal home.
RIFF
Hey, I’m depraved on account I’m deprived!
SNOWBOY IMITATING JUDGE
So take him to a headshrinker. You!
ACTION
Who me?
RIFF
My daddy beats my mommy
My mommy clobbers me
My grandpa is a commie
My grandma pushes tea
My sisters wears a moustache
My brother wears a dress
Goodness gracious, that’s why I’m a mess
ACTION IMITATING HEADSHRINKER
Yes, Officer Krupke
He shouldn’t be here
This boy don’t need a couch
He needs a usefully career
Society’s played him a terrible trick
And sociologically he’s sick
RIFF
I am sick!
JETS
We are sick, we are sick
We are sick sick sick
Like we’re sociologically sick
ACTION IMITATING HEADSHRINKER
In my opinion, this child does not need to have his head shrunk at all. Juvenile delinquency is purely a social disease.
RIFF
Hey, I got a social disease!
ACTION IMITATING HEADSHRINKER
So take him to a social worker
RIFF
Dear kindly social worker
They tell me get a job
Like be a soda jerker
Which means I’d be a slob
It’s not I’m antisocial
I’m only anti-work
Glory Osky, that’s why I’m a jerk
A-RAB
Eek, Officer Krupke
You’ve done it again
This boy don’t need a job
He needs a year in the pen
It ain’t just a question of misunderstood
Deep down inside he’s no good
RIFF
I’m no good
JETS
We’re no good, we’re no good
We’re no earthly good
Like the best of us is no damn good
The trouble is he’s lazy
The trouble is he drinks
The trouble is he’s crazy
The trouble is he stinks
The trouble is he’s growing
The trouble is he’s grown
Krupke, we’ve got troubles of our own
Officer Krupke
We’re down on our knees
RIFF
‘Cause no one wants a fella
With a social disease
JETS
Dear Officer Krupke
What are we to do?
Gee, Officer Krupke
Krup you!
Even people who have integrated into our society will speak Spanish to other Spanish speaking people. It’s really not a big deal.
I can’t help but think that the song “America” will lose greatly in the translation....but hey, whaddo I know?
Sounds interesting. Why would a Puerto Rican gang and a Central European gang all be speaking English all the time? I would probably like this version.
Didn't like the movie that much, but after reading the lyrics, I wish even more I had seen elfin Lizanne Truex perform that bit in a stage version of "West Side Story" in 1961.
See second picture. (I'll update the pic and add a few lyrics.)
Everything free in America.
No thanks. The remakes usually stink especially if the original was great like West Side Story.
Jets jumping Sharks with lasers? Cool!
The first half of Paul Simon’s musical was ok, the second half dragggggggged and was preachy.
“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.”
No translation necessary.
Kind of OT, but has anybody here seen the movie short “The West Bank Story”, which is a comical take-off of “The West Side Story” that involves an Israeli restaurant and a Palestinian restaurant fighting each other and a young man from the Israeli restaurant falling in love with a young woman from the Palestinian restaurant? Very funny, and very well done.
No but I remember Stan Freberg’s 77 Gaza Strip.
They aren’t remaking the film they’re reviving the stage musical. Revivals happen all the time. And the movie was terrible! Most people associated with the stage show thought so.
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