Nina Polachek used to dream about playing Maria in “West Side Story.” Later this month, in The Villages, that dream will come true.
Maria
Say it loud and there’s music playing
Say it soft and it’s almost like praying
Maria
Defining Maria involves more than her love affair with Tony, doomed by violence and racial strife. For Polachek, it’s about finding hope in despair, and understanding through loss.
“Maria is the savvy ingénue who carries inside her the eternal light of unbreakable innocence and grace. She moves through these scenes with a feminine strength and vitality that transcends the violence surrounding her. It is Maria’s access to the depths of life through love that opens up what would otherwise be a repetition of death into a possibility for difference.
“This is a role I have dreamed of playing. The real trick is knowing how much of myself to keep out of the way so that Maria might have some space.”
“West Side Story” opened on Broadway in 1957. It was a ground-breaking musical about white and Puerto Rican teenage gangs. The landmark Broadway production was conceived by Jerome Robbins, with composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim and playwright Arthur Laurents.
It became a 1961 movie directed by Robert Wise, and last year another film version was directed by Steven Spielberg.
Times and people change but somehow the corrosive social curses of violence, racial strife and ethnic rivalry remain.
“West Side Story” will be presented Oct. 29-31 at Savannah Center. It features Alex Santoriello as Tony and Dawn DiNome as Anita. The KC Productions cast also includes Lon Abrams, Tony Oteri and Virgil Reyes, with choreography by Diane Vargas. Linda Rosalsky is musical director.
Maria is the heart of the story and Polachek brings intellectual, introspective and artistic qualities to the role. The soprano has performed on stages throughout the country, including appearances with the Villages Philharmonic Orchestra and at Savannah Center.
She commutes between Dallas Texas, and Central Florida and her education includes degrees in Religious Studies and Philosophy. She has a background in classical music, but enjoys “crossing over into musical theater.”
“West Side Story” was publicized as a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Like those doomed lovers, Maria and Tony, cannot surmount the social decay that surrounds their lives. But Polachek believes Maria’s spirit brings a hopeful message.
“This story preserves one of our ultimate concerns as humans – that life demands transformation. Transformation occurs when we open ourselves to change.”
Alex Santoriello is a veteran of Broadway stages who has frequently directed and starred in Villages’ shows. He admires Polachek’s approach to the role.
“She’s not a diva at all,” he said. “She has an incredible range, both vocally and as an actor. I think she’s a perfect Maria.”
It’s a role with a demanding history. Carol Lawrence starred as Maria in the original Broadway production, and Natalie Wood and Rachel Zegler played the role in the movies.
Here is a scene from the 1961 film, featuring Natalie Wood as Maria and Richard Beymer as Tony.
Music is a big part of Maria and “it’s not simple stepping into this role,” Polachek said. “The singing keeps me on my toes. (Leonard) Bernstein knew how to write for the voice, but that doesn’t mean I get to relax.”
“West Side Story” songs include: “America,” “Somewhere,” “Maria,” “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Cool.”
Ultimately, “West Side Story” is about change, and the ability to connect to different people.
“’West Side Story’ underscores the power of this connection between human beings,” Polachek said. “It is a connection that is so fundamentally human that it cannot be killed. We need each other to survive and to feel truly alive. West Side Story reminds us that we are social beings and only together can we grow.”
Tony Violanti covers arts and music for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into the Buffalo NY Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.
