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waterphoenixfire - Ten Stars For West Side!I've been waiting for something like this for years. I'm so excited to hear this beautiful score in a crystal clear soundtrack. The actors in it are amazing, and the spanish/english, I thought at first I would hate, but they make spansih beautiful. I can't wait to hear the whole album.
The Fifth Bear - Hurray for Karen Olivo!!!!!!! (first review)Dear Folks,
The new album for West Side Story is intensely swell and nifty! I encourage everyone who chooses to read this to purchase the album. Also, we should all support Karen Olivo in her quest for the elusive Tony!
Signed,
Transfurby (J David O)
Rent 100 - I'm in loveNEVER HAVE I HEARD THE SHOW LIKE THIS.I DID THIS IN H.S. AND WE DIDN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO IT. SADDLY I AM IN A HURRY TO SAY ALL I NEED TO SAY BUT IF YOU DON'T BUY THE NEW CAST ALBUM OF WEST SIDE STORY, WELL YOU'RE A FOOL!
KUDOSSSSSSSSSSS TO KAREN OLIVO(ORGIONAL VANESSA FROM, "IN THE HEIGHTS"
RichMan90 - Great ShowThis is is probably the best version of the show out there. The orchestrations are soo crisp and clean. The added spanish makes it feels so genuine and profound. definately recommend this to any die hard Broadway fan.
TheBigLeagues - AwfulIf I listened to anything more than the 30 second preview I would've died from blood loss from my ears!!!!!!!!!
Biff McKeldin - Fair to Poor Recording of a Great ScoreAfter numerous listens... and comparisons back and forth with eight other West Side Story recordings, I've come to the conclusion that this album is a failure. Not a complete failure mind you... it still has the marvelous Karen Olivo... and I still love this recording's "Gee, Officer Krupke" more than any other. But from a technical standpoint this album is flat and dead with little in the way of dynamics. The principal culprits are the recording producer/s who seem to have no idea of how to create a satisfying show album (at least one that does not feature a contemporary pop score). I apologize for my earlier 4 star rating.
clr550 - Some great moments, some less than greatI will start by reminding everyone that reads this that music is an art and art is subjective...and my subjective opinion is this: Karen Olivo is more than 5 stars and this recording of Matt Cavenaugh's superfast, intense vibrato on practically every syllable drives me nuts. I'm of the opinion you shouldn't really notice vibrato, but on this recording Tony drives me crazy (bad crazy), although when he sings some of the bigger, upper range things that vibrato fits ok...just should be toned down contextually the other 99% of the time. I bought this because I have tickets for the 7/23/09 show 8pm...about a month and a half from now and want to get accustomed to things before I go. Mission accomplished. The orchestra sounds hot, Karen Olivo sounds timeless...she has set a new standard. Maria's voice to me sounds young and naive, so perhaps that is good casting. Can't wait to see it live :)
jcol15 - WHY IN SPANISH!!!!the songs are great...but why did you have to change the one song that is ment to be sung in english into a FULL song in spanish. I feel Pretty is one of the best songs in the show, and it is now its sung in SPanish!!! =/
but the show is amazing tho
Heather-monster - Already know it's amazing!!!Going 2 see the musical in August......but i already know that it's going to be brille & amazing!!!!!! I'm happy that only 2 of the songs aren't in English instead of a whole bunch of them non-understandable. Thanks 4 adding this album!!!!!!
Leisie93 - I haven't seen the show,But with this great a soundtrack, you know it's got to be something amazing! The entire cast rocks!
bwayspringgal127 - this is my favorite musicalwest side has been in my top 3 of fav musicals since i was little
i love it to the death
i saw the revival and in my opinion the spanish is not a distraction
the only slight distraction is maria
she looks, acts, and fits the part beautifully
but her voice is not always there live as it should be she sort of gets over powered
its sounds gorgeous but doesnt exactly have the absolute power that in my opinion it should
but all together i thought i was a beautifully casted revival
i loved it, and i was very pleased
litterateur - Show Astounds / Album LacksAs many reviewers have pointed out, the new West Side Story Broadway production playing at the Palace Theatre is incredible, a wonderful theatrical achievement, but as for the recording of this album it is accurate to say that the roles of Tony (Matt Cavenaugh) and Riff (Cody Green) ARE "horribly miscast". I saw the Broadway production two nights ago and it blew me away, but that is because the young men in the production at this very moment are pure genius! Jeremy Jordan (currently only performing two nights a week as Tony) and John Arthur Greene are both incredible. Jeremy Jordan's voice blew me away within the first seconds of "Something's Coming" and every time he returned to the stage it just got better, was always more beautiful and effortless than I had remembered. Matt Cavenaugh can't hold a note without shaking his vocal cords--it makes me seasick listening to him! So unfortunate! The show is definitely worth seeing NOW (on a Wednesday evening or Saturday morning especially). Josefina Scaglione and Karen Olivo utterly breathtaking, too. But I don’t want THIS album, I want a recording of the show I saw two nights ago that blew me away. Even if you decide to buy this album (which you should, because the songs are beautiful and timeless) just know that it could be better, and don’t hold this recording as a fair representation of the current show. Happy listening!
Cam B. - A Disappointment...Aside from the stunning Karen Olivo, the brilliant Josefina Scaglione, and the gorgeous orchestra, this album is a huge let-down. Matt Cavenaugh and Cody Green are horrifically miscast and bring nothing to this album or production (minus Matt's crystal clear high B in "Maria") and the Spanish translations are needless. I was hoping to really love this album, but I just didn't. It's just eh. Worth it for my three positives (Karen, Josefina, and the orchestra).
Rex Motor - Great revivalDon't listen to those other reviews. Matt Cavenaugh's voice is so solid. He makes Tony seem to be a softer and more motivated character. He could tone the vibrato back a little bit, but I love him as Tony. Some songs that you for sure need to get are:
Something's Coming
Tonight
Tonight (Quintet)
Cool
America
Maria
Gee, Officer Krupke
All cast members do so great in their parts, I love seeing WSS in this new light.
Rocker Rosie - West Side StoryOk I just saw this today and I am in love with this musical, the movie was good but seeing it was amazing! The songs are beautifully written and sung so 5 stars to the cast!
Zachy* - Revivals Now-a-DaysI saw this show a couple days ago at the Pantages Theatre in LA. I have to say that I didn't care much for the Spanish versions of the songs and my family and I agreed that even if you knew the songs from the original, it kind of took away from the original feeling. Although, the new version of "America" with Karen Olivo was quite fabulous.
I still believe that you should know the originals first, and then move to the revival CDs.
A pretty good revival, I must say.
NCIS Los Angeles superfan - Es Muy Buenoomg. i saw this musical for my birthday and i loved it!! i really liked Josefina Scaglione (Maria), and i especially fell in love with Matt Cavenaugh (Tony) I think they were both truly amazing. the soundtrack is as good as ever! buy it!!!!!! <3
Sliff1123 - The Show Was AMAZING!!!I saw the show live on broadway and it was amazing!!! This recording is so good and anyone who loves west sid story will love this recording!
Remigio II - Not GreatI saw the show and listened to the previews here on the album. In both circumstances I felt the same: I expected better from a modern remake of a classic like this, especially with the original Arthur Laurents at the helm. I especially don't like Matt Cavenaugh in the role of Tony -- badly miscast, he sounds way too vibrato and too "Broadway" for the part.
Wannabe on b'way - West Side StoryGenius all the way around. Saw this show on b'way in September 2009 and was blown away. I, like most, had seen it many times in regional and civic theatre and I had burned a groove through my old original b'way cast albumn. This cast had huge shoes to fill and they just knocked my socks off. Their voices are spectacularly clear, controlled and boldly resonant. For those who were dissapointed that "I Feel Pretty" was sung in Spanish, I totally disagree. This was one of the highlights of the show. There is perhaps no other song in the score that has aged less well than this one. The English lyrics are now trite and dated. No one would say that feel "gay" in this era. The Spanish lyrics were beautifully poetic in comparison. After all who doesn't know what she was singing? We've all heard the English Lyrics before. This show is a remarkably fresh re- tread of one of the most beautiful musical scores of all time. Go see this while you still have time.
jmayer2009 - Musical Perfection!I went to see the revival of West Side Story when it previewed here in D.C, and I spent the time completely entranced by the glorious production. Listen to this soundtrack, and you'll hear the exquisite perfection of the pairing of Ms. Scaglione and Mr. Cavenaugh. When they hit the high notes in "Tonight" and "Somewhere" you'll hold your breath, it's so lovely. When Ms. Olivio leads the rest of the girls in "America" you'll be singing along, and the music of this whole album with stay with you long after you stop listening to it. It's a spectacular revisit to one of the greatest musicals of all time.
rita! - i feel pretty.this is a great album, albeit the changes made in the production are a bit awkward. karen olivo and newcomer josefina scaglione shine in this recording! karen should and better get a tony for her performance! <333
goldilocks219 - Lovely, with a few errors.This album has it's high's and low's. Karen Olivo, Josefina Scaglione, Matt Cavenaugh, Cody Green, and all of the additional cast members are FABULOUS! They are immensly talented, and all have great voices. I'm just gonna give a brief review of each song:
1. Prologue: Kind of boring, but still sort of good
2. Jet Song: Good Song, Cody Green's voice sounds good and the Jets all sing very well.
3. Something's Coming: Matt Cavenaugh has a interesting virbratto type voice, but I am not crazy about his vocals in this particular song.
4. Dance at the Gym: Good song, GREAT music.
5. Maria: Not crazy about this song in general, but Matt's voice sounds good.
6. Tonight: Good, kind of slow, but that's just my personal taste.
7. America: LOVE LOVE LOVE!
8. Cool: Not super crazy about this song, but w/e
9. One Hand, One Heart: Slow song, so I haven't really listened 2 it.
10. Tonight (Quintet): Once again. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
11. The Rumble: Just a bunch of noises, but undoubtedley good live
12. Me Siento Hermosa (I feel Pretty): I am not very happy about this. I WANT IT IN ENGLISH.
13. Somewhere: Didn't really listen 2 it, don't like slow songs.
14. Gee, Officer Krupke: Hilarious song, lyrics are great. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
15. Un Hombre Asi (A boy like that)/ I have a love: WANT IT IN ENGLISH.
16. Finale: Dynamic and Heart Breaking.
17. (Album Only) A boy like that/ I have a love: YES IT'S IN ENGLISH!
18: (Album Only) Jump: Still haven't listened 2 it :P
19: (Digital Booklet): Yay! Learn the Lyrics!
Cyndi - BEST RECORDING SINCE ORIGINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (not counting the movie)I have been a fan of WSS since the beginning and this soundtrack definitely hits the nail on the head! The addition of spanish in some songs really takes you away and makes you believe that this is how it would be if this were actually going on today. Unfortunately, stuff like this still exists today, but anyways, I think every song is fantastic!!! If you are a WSS fan, like myself, BUY THIS SOUNDTRACK ITS SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PeppaMintPatty9 - Amazing!I saw the revival on Broadway in March, and since then, I've been dying to get this recording. Now that I finally have it, I am SO excited. The entire cast is amazing. Josefina Scaglione has a beautiful voice, and Karen Olivo steals the show with her passion and tremendous voice. My favorite song on the album has to be Un Hombre Así/ I Have A Love. It is an amazing song, and the spanish is so powerful. When I saw it on stage, this song gave me chills. It still does. A must buy!
Theatre12 - this new revival brings a fresh style to the classic musicalthe new cast and spanish style are both wonderful! karen olivio is better than the original and the original movie actress. i can't say that for matt cavenaugh, though. his voice is a bit weird. i don't really like him. but all in all, this new musical really lives up to the original! the best songs are:
AMERICA
COOL
TONIGHT (QUINTET)
SOMEWHERE
TONIGHT
and JET SONG
buy it!
mbrs2u - Really Great!I love this recording of West Side Story--the singers are great, the orchestra is wonderful and the new Broadway show itself is magnificent! My only heavy criticism is that Matt Cavenaugh (Tony) is a bit difficult to listen to with his noticeably over-done vibratos (and some other, miniscule things...). Other than him, this album is perfect.
p.s. Karen Olivo as Anita is my favorite...her songs are absolutely amazing!
Davelandia - Well DoneSaw the Broadway production about 2 days before this soundtrack recorded and its an accurate representation of what I heard in the theatre that night. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and actually thought the spanish worked really well. Everyone in the cast performed uniformly well. Though Josefina Scaglione and Karen Olivo are clearly standouts, I thought Cody Green was just fine vocally, and I'm a fan of Matt Cavenaugh so I not only enjoyed seeing him in this role, but I thought his matching with Josefina worked very well - not only was their chemistry good, but they sound really well together. This soundtrack will always remind me of my night in the theatre seeing a show I had always wanted to see on Broadway. I was not disappointed, and this soundtrack has not disappointed as well.
Ryan Madanick - Reviewing the album, not the showAs the title says, I will not discuss the production, since I have not seen this version. My bias up front: West Side Story is my favorite older musical, and I have loved the music and lyrics for 25 years. That being said I used to own the record (yes, the record) of one of the older versions, so this review is just about the current album of the New Broadway Cast.
The orchestrations are excellent and very faithful to the original score. The horns were incredible, and this played a huge reason that the music remains phenomenal. The ladies have wonderfully expressive voices. I enjoyed hearing some of the new Spanish lyrics. I was however disappointed that they translated "A Boy Like That". The English lyrics are so powerful and moving, that if you cannot understand the Spanish you will lose some of the emotion. Fortunately the English version is included after the Finale, and is very strong. I particularly liked one of the translation changes in "I Feel Pretty", from "It must be the heat, or some rare disease" to "Sera el calor o indigestion" ("It is the heat or indigestion")...as a gastroenterologist I got a kick out of this!
Now for the negatives. As others have stated, Cavenaugh (Tony) is the weak link vocally, primarily for his nasal vocalizations in some of the key songs, notably in "Something's Coming" and "Tonight". The operatic voice of Scaglione (Maria) in "Tonight" is so beautiful that it is a shame that his was not as well. "Maria" on the other hand is beautiful and for some reason much less nasal.
In several faster songs, I found myself begging the tempo to speed up just a little bit. It seemed that some of the tempos were purposely kept slightly slower to allow more articulation of the music and vocals. But with the more energetic tunes there needed to be a little bit of fire behind the conductor that just wasn't there.
Finally, I was so looking forward to an amazing new rendition of Krupke. But it was just bland. The interpretation of the dialogue in between the lines of singing was boring (e.g., "head shrinker" and "social worker"). The instrumentation keeps this song going, but the performers seemed to have really no sense of the inuendo in the lyrics and dialogue, maybe reflecting a difference in era, since the show is 50+ years old and the concept of "juvenile deliquency" is much different now.
To sum up, I was pleased with my purchase. It is not the best album per se that I have, but if you love the show you will probably feel the same way. So glad to hear the new production, great female vocals, but some downsides that could have been tweaked in recording.
PicturePerfection - WowOk so The music is pretty good but thats compleatly on the back of Karen Olivio(Who should win a Tony). This just isn't a strong cast and the show on Boradway is terrible. Dont bother getting the whole album just get the ones with Karen singing.
tylerpirrung - Why is it Spanish?!?!?!I love everyone's voices. The only problem with vocals I have is that Matt uses too much vibrato. Other than that it's stupendous. And why would they even think about making some of the songs Spanish?!?!?! That is so unnecessary!!!
SimonSez44 - West side revivalI'll have to say that I like the new bilingual version. One sees the bigger differences in cultures which makes for a better and more interesting conflict on stage.
The new "Maria" sung by Matt Cavenaugh is the best interpretation of that song I've ever heard.
This second look at this show refreshes the youthful years of Stephen Sondheim's work and can see his early lyrical genius.
Five stars from me. :)
polkadotsox - Karen Olivo!Josefina scaglione is a beautiful singer but sh eis indeed from argentina and the accent doesnt help much.The guys werent too good but i didnt hate it i guess. But karen olivo is magnificent!
Barnitt - brill!!!!fantastically a-mahh-zingly brilliant!! i think i died and went to heaven after hearing matt cavenaugh's crystal clear b at the end of "maria". brill brill brill!!
peacelovejonas93 - LOVE LOVE LOVEI absolutely love this album. I'm seeing the show at the end of July when I'm going to NYC and I already am in love with it. Karen Olivo and Josefina Scaglione are fantastic, and I actually love Matt Cavenaugh and Cody Green. I think that all of the voices are phenomenal together and Matt's upper range (especially in "Maria") is beautiful. I really enjoy the Spanish translations, especially on "A Boy Like That/I Have A Love." I can't wait to see the show live and see all of these fantastic actors coupled with an awesome orchestra!
TerrenceRogue - A new version, A new opinionKaren Olivo sold this album for me. She is phenomenal and well worth the money by herself. I cannot overstate how much I loved her.
Now for the rest of the album. I will start by saying I am not a huge fan of West Side Story and for me the previous casts did not really hold my interest. The revamped sound is a huge improvement for me. Josefina Scaglione did a great job and while the rest of the cast wasn't quite up to the level of Olivo and Scaglione they were respectable in their performances. The Spanish was a fun addition making it, easily, my favorite version of this musical.
I personally would just pick the tracks with afore mentioned ladies instead of buying the whole album if I were doing it again, but that is me.
B.Bopp - Lots of squandered potentialI love West Side Story, but this recording isn't really that great. Sure, Karen Olivo is SPECTACULAR (better even than Rita Moreno), and Josefina Scaglione is okay (but flat), but the rest is pretty bad. The Spanish translations were needless; it kind of ruins the Tonight Quintet when everyone is singing together and I can't understand A Boy Like That or I Feel Pretty. Matt Cavanaugh COULD have a voice on him if he lost a bit of his excessive and horribly nasally vibrato. The orchestrations sound hokey and not very rich. Try the movie and original Broadway.
broadwayjew - nothing beats the originalI'm not going to say that it's impossible to beat an original cast album, because that would be stupid, especially to ignore things like Kiss Me Kate with Brian Stokes Mitchell, but for me this doesn't do it. Matt Cavenaugh is almost unbearable on songs like "Something's Coming," and the rest are just so easily surpassed by the original. Josefina is magnificent, and it's probably worth it to buy the songs that are translated, just for the fact that this is the "gimmick" of this revival. All in all, if you want West Side Story, there are already soundtracks that do a better job than this ever will.
maxmo11 - Saw it on broadwayI saw it on Broadway two years ago and it was AH-FREAKING-MAZING!!!! :D
lane lover - Why Spanish?i don't understand why Maria's part is in Spanish. Yes, her voice is georgeous, but I like to be able to understand what she is saying.
RgmuChild - asi asiSaw the show on Broadway yesterday and it was fantastic, especially with the infusion of the spanish lyrics. However, I won't be buying this album because Matt Cavenaugh's acting and singing leaves a lot to be desired and drags this album/performance way down.
MsWilsonSeesIt - Karen and Josefina make this album worth buying.I recently saw the show on July 11th and I have to say that I was a little disappointed. Matt Cavenaugh and Cody Green, while they do have wonderful voices, are not right for these roles. They try way to hard to get the accent right. Matt only impressed me when he was with Josefina. He had really great chemistry with her, but when he was by himself he was a lot to be desired. I was really annoyed with how he sang 'Something's Coming', he acted like he was trying not to mess up. Its Sondheim, you sing it, mess up and go at it again until its perfect. Karen and Josefina are positively radiant in both their acting and singing. I have a soft spot for soprano's and Josefina reminded me why, her voice is so clear and pure! Karen had both the attitude and vulnerability of Anita down to the very last flick of her head. She was well-deserving of that Tony. Josefina was not just a brilliant soprano, but an amazing actress. In the finale her heart-wrenching sobs were enough to draw out several tears from me. Karen just goes without say. I really loved both her performance of 'America' where you see the sassy side of Anita, and 'A Boy like that', where you see just how terrified and vulnerable her character is. The orchestra is brilliant, and that's about it. I wish that I could give it a higher rating, but three is better than one or none at all right?
rjr93 - Crazy Amazing.Karen is fabulous. She brings so much life to Anita! Buy this album. Its a must for any broadway lover.
lauren buns - Here's the break down.So, you go on Itunes and you see several West Side Story albums. What should you do? Well, the song quality varies with each recording. I would suggest if your buying a song sung by the Jets buy the movie versions, Russ Tamblyn is my personal favorite Riff. If you buy a song with the Puerto Rican's singing, buy the new cast recording it is amazing, Karen Olivo's vocals are to die for. Anything orchestral buy the original soundtrack. All albums are a win, so either way you go it is worth buying!
Dancer4life! - WAY TO GOO!I havent stopped listening to this version of the songs. I have been casted as Anita in my school's vs of West side. Karen Olivo is incredible, as is the rest of the cast! Everybody is wonderful, and I hope to someday see them all off or on Broadway! True Broadway classic, and Jlo's fav movie! Thank you!
a3k95 - A Definite DisappointmentI just recently saw this show, and I was expecting something totally different from what I watched. The orchestra was great, and I really loved some of the changes they made to the show, such as translating some songs into Spanish. However, the performances were what I was really expecting to astound me. Unfortunately, they did not. The only one that I absolutely loved was Karen Olivo's Anita. She is an ispiration! Just buy her songs, please! Her singing and dancing were equally powerful, and they were a love to listen to and watch. Besides her, though, I was greatly disappointed. Josephina Scaglione? I was not impressed. Maybe she just wasn't feeling it that night, but her voice didn't carry at all. Plus, she didn't even look Puerto Rican. Being Puerto Rican myself, I was a little insulted. If Maria is supposed to be a young Puerto Rican woman, then you're going to have to find a young Puerto Rican woman to play the role. Karen Olivo is a different story :) Matt Cavenaugh should not have been Tony. His voice is way too Broadway, too much vibrato. The ensemble was good, but in the end it always comes down to the lead roles. To conclude, my rating is really for my disapointment in Ms. Scaglione's, Mr. Cavenaugh's, and some of the casts' performances.
24601jv - Not BadAlthough the different take on "Somewhere" (which is one of my favorite songs) kind of surprised me and I'm not sure I like it, I do think that the Maria is wonderful and the Tony is incredible (his "Maria" is fantastic, I love the way he hits the last notes). All in all, it's pretty good for a revival.
airplane21 - I saw the show!i have recently seen the West Side Story revival and it was amazing. it was a show that will keep your attention for the entire show. there is not a moment when you feel bored or do not feel into the show. the cast really keeps you entertained. this would not waste your money.
toast-ness - Love Love Love ItI love the original and this is just amazing! :)
Paul-NYC - Amazing! I loved itConsidered one of the most popular musicals of all time, WEST SIDE STORY earned director Robert Wise an Oscar for Best Director as well as nine other Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Broadway newcomer Josefina Scaglione, who hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was found after an exhaustive international search for the role of Maria. Trained as an opera singer, Ms. Scaglione’s lovely soprano enhances her personal quality of youthful purity. With her vis-à-vis Matt Cavenaugh displaying a fine singing voice and a sensitive demeanor, this couple wins the audience.
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