Mathison, Redfern play lead roles in West Side Story

West Side story, a play that director George Buri of 7 Ages Production calls “one of the top 10 of all time,” will hit the stage at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium Thursday and run for four days.

The 38-member cast tells the modern day Romeo and Juliet story Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (7:30 p.m.), followed by a matinee Sunday, March 7 (2:30 p.m.).

Buri said local theatre goers will be thrilled to see the two leads — Katlin Mathison and Julia Redfern — play the lead roles, because the two talented youngsters have shown in the past they have the talent to carry a major production such as West Side Story. Mathison is a Grade 12 student at Crocus Plains while Redfern is a first-year university student.

The story deals with two rival street gangs in Los Angeles in the 1930s, the Sharks and the Jets. “There's an atmosphere of hatred,” said Buri. Things get complicated when Tony (a Jet) falls in love at a dance with a girl (Maria), who is the sister of a Shark member. The story, of course, has a tragic ending.

Buri said Mathison is a big star in the making. “He's very, very talented,” said Buri. “Unlimited potential.”

Other major roles are played by Will Moes, in the role of Bernardo, Trevor Barker, who plays Riff, the Jets' leader, and Sarah Halikas, who plays the role of Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend.

Much of the music in the performance will be familiar to most people — Maria, Tonight, I Feel Pretty and Somewhere There's a Place for Us are just four of the songs, all written by the renowned Leonard Bernstein. “It's a play that really appeals to your emotions,” said Buri.

West Side Story hit the entertainment world in the early 1960s when it was both a movie and a Broadway play at around the same time. A new version of the play is currently playing on Broadway, and Buri said he saw it this past December. The play's original writer, 91-year-old Arthur Laurents, is the director.

The 7 Ages cast didn't begin its rehearsals until the end of January. “We put it together really fast,” said Buri.

He has also started work on Tuesdays with Morrie, a two-person play that will be held in the smaller Lorne Watson Theatre at Brandon University in May.

West Side Story tickets are $22 for adults, $19 for students and seniors, and $12 for 12-and-under. A group-rate discount of $3 per ticket is being offered for groups of 15 or more. Buri said people just have to ask for it at the box office.

Comments

Be the first to comment!