West Side Story

This weekend was the first two shows of West Side Story. I have watched these kids grow up, some as early as kindergarten, others not until high school. I am, once again, in awe of the dedication and talent of these teenagers. I had not seen any costumes, any rehearsals, had not heard Emma practice any songs or accents. The only thing I had seen was the dyed hair and tans of some of the girls trying to be Puerto Rican. WOW! From the opening scene to the closing, I was mesmerized. It was amazing they could pull that many boys together to sing and dance. The anger and hate of Action was real, yet was pulled off by a sweet senior boy without any malice in his body. The love between Tony and Maria was truly magical. There were literally stars in each other's eyes. When Tony killed Bernardo, my heart ached for him and the devastation he felt. His cries for Maria brought tears to my eyes. The ending scene, in which Tony is killed, and Maria says "I can kill now!, because now I hate!" had me sobbing. The loss of inocence, the loss of love, the loss of family, was all so real and raw. I know I was the Mom of the leading lady, but I witnessed others who felt the same way and were coming out of the auditorium, faces streaked with tears blowing their noses. I can't wait to see it again this weekend. I never tire of my kid's productions.