WHAT HUMP(ERDINCK)?

"Freakish" is the word that a friend of mine used to describe the Richard Jones-John Macfarlane production of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, which he caught in San Francisco a few years ago. I was determined to keep an open mind when I saw the production at the Metropolitan Opera, where it's now playing in repertory; but I have to say that my friend's adjective will do as well as any for what the director and designer have wrought.

Though Jones has many credits in opera and theater, I'll always remember him for having misdirected the Broadway musical Titanic. One of his many weird decisions in that show was to cast an adult woman in the role of the young bellboy who greets the ship's passengers just before sailing. This must have been done to make some profound point that escaped me and, I suspect, the rest of the audience, but the actual result was to render insufferable a character who should have been charming. While there is one piece of cross-gender casting in Jones' Hansel and Gretel, it's traditional and it works; but the production is chock-full of other wild ideas that have little to do with the work we all know and love.

As written by composer Humperdinck and librettist Adelheid Wette (his sister), rather loosely based on the classic fairy tale as retold by the brothers Grimm, the opera tells of two impoverished siblings who become hopelessly lost in the forest when they are sent by their distraught mother to pick strawberries. The next morning, Hansel and Gretel encounter a witch living in a gingerbread house. The old hag plans to devour the children, but they outwit her, and she comes to a bad end in her own oven. Then Hansel and Gretel break the magic spell that the witch had used to turn a passel of other children into gingerbread. Reunited with their parents, H&G presumably live happily ever after.

In the Met production, the picturesque cottage in which Hansel and Gretel live with their folks is represented by a cramped, dingy, mid-20th century kitchen, complete with old-style fridge, sink, and cupboards. The kids' father is a drunken wife-abuser, and their mother -- who bears a striking resemblance to Christine Baranski as depicted here -- pops pills. Things get worse in Act II, set in a German Expressionist dining room with leafy trees on the wallpaper springing from headless human trunks; and in Act III, no longer a gingerbread dwelling but instead a rusty, dirty, industrial kitchen wherein the witch putters about, looking for all the world like Julia Child on steroids.

Jones' direction and Macfarlane's set and costume designs contradict the libretto at nearly every turn. Multiple references to the children being outdoors in the second and third scenes remain, even though the sets are interiors; in Act III, the witch sings about riding her broomstick as usual, but all she does during this sequence is cook; and so on. Hansel and Gretel is performed here in an infelicitous translation by David Pountney. Given the great difficulty experienced by singers in trying to project English text in the cavernous Met, you'll only catch a small percentage of the lines, but the company's titling system makes it obvious that what's supposed to happen in the opera and what actually happens at the behest of the director and designer are largely unrelated.

This is one of those annoying productions in which the subtext of the work is played on the top, with all the sublety of a sumo wrestler wielding a sledgehammer. Jones is correct in noting that images of food and hunger run through Hansel and Gretel, which explains the kitchen/dining room sets and the fact that Hansel and Gretel dream of having a huge meal served to them by 14 chefs, rather than of being guarded in their slumber by 14 angels. But the opera is not ONLY about hunger, so to stress this above all else is a reductive approach. Many of the stage images in this production are inarguably arresting, yet they fail to illuminate the material. (After all, if some director were to have a spaceship land on stage during the final scene of Rigoletto, that would be visually stunning, but it would tell us more about the director's ego than about Verdi's opera.)

While all of the above and much more weirdness was happening during the matinee on Saturday, December 29, a wonderful performance of the score was taking place. Mezzo Alice Coote and soprano Christine Schäfer possess just the right vocal timbre for Hansel and Gretel, and they have the characters' pre-adolescent body language down pat. Individually and as a team, they're utterly delightful. Alan Held and Rosalind Plowright are well cast as parents Peter and Gertrude, while Philip Langridge seems to be having the time of his life as the witch. Sasha Cooke displays a beautiful soprano in the role of the Sandman (it's not her fault that she has been costumed and made-up to look like Nosferatu), and Lisette Oropesa does likewise as the Dew Fairy (here a rubber-gloved maid who cleans up after the childrens' dream feast). Conductor Vladimir Jurowski fully communicates the score's grandeur without ever making it sound heavy-handed.

If only the direction and design matched the music making in quality. Family-friendly entertainment is big business during the holiday season in NYC, so it's no surprise that the Met was packed for Hansel and Gretel. But I can't help wishing that the company's new general manager, Peter Gelb, had kept the lovely, 40-year-old Nathaniel Merrill/Robert O'Hearn production of the opera in the repertoire for a few more seasons and worked his marketing magic upon it, rather than bringing Richard Jones and John Macfarlane's ultimately silly production to the Met stage.

SWING YOUR RAZOR WIDE, SWEENEY!

Tim Burton's film version of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd is like a magnificent meal that leaves one feeling slightly disappointed due to minor problems with the presentation. Still, in sum, the movie is a triumph worthy of great critical and financial successs.

Anyone who has seen The Nightmare Before Christmas and other Burton films won't be surpised that Sweeney is visually stunning in a wonderfully dark style. The director's vision is certainly appropriate to the tone of Sondheim's musical theater masterpiece. Praise also to production designer Dante Ferretti and director of photography Dariusz Wolski, who give us a darkly oppressive vision of 19th-century London that makes the milieu of the film Oliver! look like Disneyland by comparison. Add in a generally superb cast of singing actors and you've got a film that engenders strong feelings of fear, pity, and terror while preserving the beauty of Sondheim's music and the expertise of his lyrics.

For the benefit of those new to Sweeney Todd, it's the story of a barber (Johnny Depp) seeking bloody revenge on the evil, lecherous judge (Alan Rickman) who destroyed his family. Denied revenge just at the moment he's about to exact it, Todd goes insane and begins indiscriminately dispatching all of his customers, who then serve as fodder for the horrendous meat pies created by his landlady, Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter).

No doubt, fans of the original stage work are already well aware that a significant amount of the score has been excised for the film -- roughly 30 percent, I would guesstimate. Gone completely and sorely missed from a musical standpoint is the "Kiss Me" ensemble, but this cut does serve the purpose of making the young sailor Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Todd's long-lost daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener) more consistent as characters. Other wholesale cuts ("City on Fire," "Parlor Songs," etc.) do the film no harm whasoever. Most of the internal edits in the remainder of the score have been done seamlessly, though Sondheim's condensation of "Poor Thing," in which Mrs. Lovett recounts the evils of Judge Turpin, is a bit sloppy. (This is suprising, given that he's usually meticulous about such things.)

The much-publicized elimination of all choral/ensemble singing from the score will be disconcerting to those who know Sweeney well in its original form. Indeed, the title of this review is misleading in that the words "Swing your razor wide, Sweeney" are never sung in the film. It seems that the decision to excise the chorus was made at the last minute; a handsome book that has been published as a tie-in to the film leads off with a page containing the lyrics to the excised "Ballad of Sweeney Todd," which was at one time intended to have been sung by a group of ghosts. Oddly, the orchestration for the ballad remains pretty much as originally written by Jonathan Tunick, with no new instrumental parts to replace the eliminated chorus and soloists. As a result, the melody of the song is never heard in the film. On the plus side, the orchestrations sound more thrilling than ever as played by a huge orchestra under Paul Gemignani, Sweeney's original Broadway conductor.

Another caveat is that the tragic story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street now ends too abruptly. (SPOILER AHEAD!) As played on stage, the final sequence of Sweeney Todd begins with the title character dispatching the "half-crazed beggar woman" who's been haunting the neighborhood, unaware that she is in fact his beloved wife Lucy. When he realizes what he has done, Sweeney tosses Mrs. Lovett into the oven as her just deserts for keeping Lucy's identity a secret from him; then he grieves over his wife's dead body, only to have his throat slit by the youth Tobias, whom Mrs. L. had taken under her wing. This is followed by a brief scene in which Anthony, Johanna, and a police officer discover the carnage and react in horror as Tobias, driven mad by what he has witnessed, reveals the gruesome secret of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies. The film, however, ends with a slow fade-out after Tobias kills Sweeney, thereby failing to provide a sense of closure. (At a recent screening, several audience members who had no previous experience of Sweeney Todd were heard to ask, "What happened to the sailor and the girl?")

Though these miscalculations are significant, they don't severely mar the film, which is filled with enough great ideas to balances its flaws. For example, in this telling of the tale, Sweeney himself puts together the fiendishly efficient barber chair that he uses to dispose of his freshly slaughtered customers, rather than having a chair delivered and then making "a few minor adjustments." The grayish palette of 95 percent of the film makes all the more effective the warm, glowing, primary colors of two sequences: a flashback to Todd's abduction at the behest of Judge Turpin, and Mrs. Lovett's daft fantasy of a relaxing life spent "By the Sea" with Todd and Tobias. The reordering of two songs, "God, That's Good!" and the second version of "Johanna," makes perfect sense, since we now get to see exacly where Mrs. Lovett is getting the meat for all those pies. And screenwriter John Logan has provided a new dialogue scene between Anthony and the Judge that does an excellent, creepy job of pointing up the latter's silky-smooth depravity.

Depp scores a qualified triumph in the role of Sweeney; he sings very effectively in a sort of pop-rock voice with a thick Cockney accent, at times calling to mind Mick Jagger. His physical appearance, most notable for his pale skin and hair that resembles a fright wig, is properly disturbing. From an acting standpoint, Depp is near perfect except that, for some reason, he avoids expressing deep sorrow. His Todd is alternately haunted, seething, calculating, and filled with rage, but never -- even in his final moments of life -- do we see him weep. It's an odd acting choice, and I'm curious to know his rationale for it.

Carter's dark, downbeat Mrs. Lovett is galaxies away from the great Angela Lansbury's outsized comic characterization in the original Broadway production of Sweeney, which never would have worked on film. This far more subtle approach is valid on its own terms, and Carter's sexuality in the role is welcome, but the fact that there is almost no personality contrast between her Mrs. L. and Depp's Sweeney is another of the film's flaws. As for Carter's performance of the songs, her voice is thin but her vocal acting is right on the money.

Bower and Wisener are an earnest, attractive pair of young lovers, though his singing voice could be fuller and hers a bit less wobbly. Rickman is ideal casting as the Judge; Timothy Spall is appropriately gross and sycophantic as the Beadle; and Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious as the "barber" Pirelli, who comes to a most unfortunate end when he tries to blackmail Todd. Edward Sanders, the pre-adolescent who plays Tobias, charms us with his sweet boy-soprano rendition of the gentle, beautiful song "Not While I'm Around." Throughout the film, the lip-synching skill of all the performers is so remarkable that you'll swear their singing was recorded live.

One unforgettable night nearly 29 years ago, I sat enthralled in the Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin) for a performance of Sweeney Todd, which had just opened to rave reviews. Though it's impossible to fully appreciate such a complex work upon first encounter, I could tell that I was in the presence of greatness. Bravo to Tim Burton and company for their stellar achievement in bringing Sweeney to the screen, thereby ensuring that this masterpiece will gain millions of new fans.

P.S. For those who are irked by certain details of the film, there's a terrific video of the first national tour of the original Hal Prince production of Sweeney Todd, starring George Hearn and Lansbury -- not to mention a video of the San Francisco Symphony's concert version of the musical (with Hearn and Patti LuPone) and three recordings of the score featuring (1) the original Broadway cast, with Len Cariou and Lansbury (2) the recent Broadway revival cast, with Michael Cerveris and LuPone, and (3) the New York Philharmonic concert cast, with Hearn and LuPone. In an age when works of artistic genius tend to be viewed as "uncommercial" and are often given short shrift, it's gratifying that Sweeney Todd has been so well documented.

JETS, SHARKS, AND GYPSIES

The 19th annual "Gypsy of the Year" competition was held at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Monday and Tuesday, December 17 and 18. Despite a major disruption caused by the stagehands' strike, the fundraising efforts leading up to the competition raised a record sum of more than $3,927,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The centerpiece of this year's show was a 50th anniversary tribute to West Side Story, featuring many of that epoch-making musical's original cast members. We are pleased to bring you some photos of this extra-special event.

Here's Ken LeRoy, the original Bernardo, in a tense moment with the Jets.

Among the other veterans of the original production of WSS on hand were (center, left to right) Tony Mordente, Mickey Calin (a.k.a. Michael Callan), and Harvey Evans.

The original Maria, Carol Lawrence, was featured in "I Feel Pretty."

Anita forever: The mambo showcased the amazing Chita Rivera and company -- including Lisa Mordente, Chita's daughter by Tony Mordente, second in line.

The WSS segment ended thrillingly with the "Tonight" ensemble.

This year's "Gypsy of the Year" hosts were Xanadu's Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa.

...plus sitcom veteran and current Drowsy Chaperone star Bob Saget, whose sex jokes throughout the proceedings proved to be controversial.

Among the many highlights of the show was the company of Avenue Q in a hilarious number about "the slow-moving tourists of Times Square."

The company of Wicked presented "Dear Mr. President," an open letter to George Bush.

Jim Newman (center) and the cast of Curtains envisioned the stagehands/producers contretemps as a "Family Feud"-style battle.

Members of the cast of Off-Broadway's Frankenstein were very good sports about the brevity of their show's run.

Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA) offered a lovely piece titled "Summer Study."

The companies of Stomp and Xanadu pooled their talents to create and present a terrific number titled (what else?) "Stompadu."

"Pressure" was the title of the piece performed by the cast of The Color Purple.

The company of Mamma Mia! imagined how their show might look if it were broadcast by a gay TV network.

Seth Rudetsky (right) and the cast of The Ritz recounted some gypsy folklore for the benefit of the younger generation.

Brian Letendre and the company of Mary Poppins offered a dance piece titled "The Eagle and the Hawk."

Laura Bell Bundy (far right) and the cast of Legally Blonde dissed The Hill Girls, who rather ineptly hosted the MTV telecast of the musical.

George Wendt (a.k.a. Norm from Cheers) and the company of Hairpsray promised that "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town."

Reri Grist reprised "Somewhere," the beautiful, heartbreaking song she introduced 50 years ago in the original production of West Side Story.

At the end of the show, David Hyde Pierce (Curtains), Rosie Perez (The Ritz), and Brian Stokes Mitchell (president of The Actors' Fund) took the stage to announce the winners in the various fundraising categories and the presentation category (The Color Purple), as well as the total amount of money raised for BC/EFA.

GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING

Dinner at a fine restaurant is a good option for a holiday gift. So is a full spa treatment. But as pleasurable as those things may be while they're happening, the experiences don't last very long. On the other hand, videos and CDs keep on giving for many years and are pretty much guaranteed to endear you to the recipients -- which, let's face it, is part of the point! Here are some suggestions for musical theater-related items that are ideal for Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanzaa gifting. And if you've already completed your seasonal shopping, just add these items to the list of things you can pick up for yourself after the holidays if you don't find them under your tree.

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Just released is Decca Broadway's cast recording of the new Mel Brooks' musical Young Frankenstein, which came to Broadway on a wave of hype followed by a backlash due to the production's ticket pricing and diffident word-of-mouth, among other things. Now that the show has opened, the consensus seems to be that it's spectacular in terms of production values and quite enjoyable overall, even though it's not in the same class as The Producers

If you haven't yet scraped together the big bucks necessary to see the show, you can get your hands on the CD and judge for yourself whether Brooks' songs are funny and delightful in the great old Broadway style (as some people contend), or derivative and lackluster (as some other people contend just as strongly). However you feel about the score, you're likely to delight in the performances of Megan Mullaly, Sutton Foster, Andrea Martin, and the hilarious Christopher Fitzgerald, though Roger Bart's efforts in the title role may well leave you cold.

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Hairspray is arguably the best film adaptation of a Broadway musical since Chicago -- a wonderful surprise, since some of us feared the worst. Lord knows, the casting of John Travolta in the drag role of Edna Turnblad was controversial. But though Travolta does look rather odd as Edna, what with all of that prosthetic makeup, his performance is endearing and successful on its own terms.

Newcomer Nikki Blonsky is just right as Tracy, Amanda Bynes is button-cute as her friend Penny, James Marsden proves himself a musical performer to be reckoned with in the role of Corny Collins, and Zac Efron is on hand to delight the tween crowd with his turn as Link Larkin. All of this plus terrific work by Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elijah Kelley, Allison Janney, and Chicago's Queen Latifah make Hairspray a must-have for your DVD library. Praise be to director/choreographer Adam Shankman for this stellar achievement.

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It took nearly 30 years for Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd to make it from Broadway to Hollywood, but -- as you may have heard! -- Tim Burton's film of the musical is about to be released. I recently caught a screening and will review the movie next week, but for now I'll urge you to pick up a copy of Nonesuch's soundtrack recording in either the highlights edition (one CD) or the complete version (two CDs).

The vocal acting of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter as Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett is superb. Jamie Campbell Bower brings a sweet, youthful voice to the role of Anthony. Alan Rickman is perfectly repulsive as Judge Turpin, and Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious as the barber Pirelli. (Who knew these people could sing so well?) On the minus side, Jayne Wisener sounds a bit wobbly in Johanna's "Green Finch and Linnet Bird," and the elimination of all choral and ensemble singing from the score -- including "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" -- is going to disappoint a lot of Sondheimians. Still, the Sweeney buffs for whom I've played my advance copy of the soundtrack CD have pretty much loved it, and that's without the benefit of Burton's gripping visuals. Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations sound more magnificent than ever as beefed-up for the film and conducted by Paul Gemignani, who helmed the original Broadway production.

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Disney's Enchanted is not based on a Broadway show, nor does it qualify as a full-fledged movie musical, as it features only three or four songs -- depending on how you count them -- with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. But the film certainly feels like a musical, and it's a huge hit, which is great news.

In the role of Giselle, Amy Adams is as adorable vocally as she is in every other way. Hairspray's James Marsden once again reveals a first-rate singing voice in his "True Love's Kiss" duet with Adams and in his soundtrack cover of the old pop standard "That's Amore." (Somone should get this guy into a Broadway musical pronto.) You can skip over the nondescript Menken/Schwartz ballad "So Close," sung in a cheesy, retro-'90s pop style by Jon McLaughlin, and focus instead on the other vocal numbers and the gorgeous orchestral tracks. For many listeners, the highlight of the CD will be "That's How You Know," a joyous production number set in Central Park. Talk about Disney magic!

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I was very sorry that the planned 2004 Off-Broadway run of the pop/rock musical Bare was abruptly canceled due to the producers' financial woes, but I'm very happy that a two-disc studio recording of Damon Intrabartolo's captivating score has now been released. Included in the package is a third disc featuring interviews with the performers and footage of the recording sessions, plus clips from various stage productions. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the set will benefit The Trevor Project, which is dedicated to curbing suicide among gay youth.

Bare tells the ultimately tragic tale of two male students who fall in love during their senior year at a Catholic boarding school. The full-length recording boasts a cast of 16, headed by Matt Doyle as Peter, James Snyder as Jason, and Jenna Leigh Green recreating the role of Ivy, which she played on stage in L.A. and New York. My view is that the success of Spring Awakening has paved the way for a Broadway production of Bare, but Intrabartolo recently insisted to me that "I'm not doing anything [more] with it unless it's a movie." Here's hoping he was joking, and that someone will soon give the show the major New York production it so richly deserves. For more information or to order the three-disc set, visit www.barethealbum.com

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In June 2006, Rufus Wainwright recreated Judy Garland's legendary 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall. The event was such a triumph that he repeated it at the London Palladium. I was privileged to attend both concerts, and I'm ecstatic that both are now relivable at home on CD (the Carnegie show) and DVD (the Palladium reprise).

Garland was famous for her vocal and emotional range. Before Wainwright took on this bold challenge, there was much concern that he might not be up to it. But he came through with flying colors, as you'll hear if you get your hands on the video or CD and experience his compelling, idiomatic performances of such songs as "When You're Smiling," "Do It Again," "Puttin' on the Ritz," "Swanee," "The Man That Got Away," and -- of course -- "Over the Rainbow." Special guest stars include Lorna Luft (Judy's daughter) and Martha Wainwright (Rufus's sister). Broadway's Stephen Oremus (Wicked, etc.) expertly conducts a large orchestra in John Charles and Christopher Jahnke's adaptations of the original orchestrations. So what's not to love?

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Words and Music by Jerry Herman is Amber Edwards' fantastic new documentary film about one of the musical theater's most beloved composer-lyricists. It traces Herman's rise from crafting Off-Broadway revues in the 1950s to his Broadway triumphs with such shows as Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles, and it also covers such disappointments as Dear World, Mack & Mabel, and The Grand Tour.

The doc is scheduled to be aired by PBS in New York on December 31 and nationwide on January 1, but if you pre-order it now through Amazon.com, you might get hold of it a few days earlier. It features interviews with such stars as Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Charles Nelson Reilly, and George Hearn, but the most stunning thing about the movie is its inclusion of archival color footage of the original productions of Dolly! and Mame, painstakingly synched-up with full stereo audio from the original cast albums of those shows. Words and Music by Jerry Herman is an invaluable time capsule and a worthy tribute to a man who holds a major place in Broadway history.

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PS Classics has recently issued solo albums by three women who have made their mark in musical theater: Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza, Titanic), Andrea Burns (In the Heights), and Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot on Broadway, Trevor Nunn's London revival of South Pacific). Fans of these ladies will definitely want to listen along as they sing show music plus standards and contemporary material.

Also new from PS Classics is Jonathan Sings Larson, consisting of recordings from the private collection of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer/lyricist who never lived to see the triumph of his musical Rent downtown at the New York Theatre Workshop or on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre. Included from that score are "Seasons of Love," "One Song Glory," "La Vie Boheme," and two other songs. There are also selections from tick, tick...BOOM!, Superbia, and Boho Days, and a bonus DVD gives us four precious video clips from Larson's 1991 performance at the Village Gate.

Finally, jazz great Diane Schuur's new CD from Concord Records is heavy on show music, with such perennials as "They Say It's Wonderful" from Annie Get Your Gun, "Without a Song" from Great Day, and "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music included. Shockingly, the bittersweet Bernstein, Comden & Green ballad "Some Other Time" from On The Town -- which happens to be the album's title song -- is misidentified as having been written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. Hey, guys, can we please try to do a better job with the proofreading next time?

TWIST AND SHOUT!

"Please, sir, may I have some more?" takes on new meaning in Twist, a very gay musical based on Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Written by Gila Sand and Paul Leschen, the show was most recently presented in New York as part of the 2007 Midtown International Theatre Festival. Now it's on view in L.A., with rising star Brandon Ruckdashel (Off-Broadway's Ascension) and Chicago theater vet Alexandra Billings appearing as Oliver and Fagin, respectively. Here are some of my exclusive photos of the opening night performance at the Avery Schreiber Theatre on Saturday, December 1. For more information, visit www.themusicaltwist.com.

Raised from infancy in a squalid workhouse, Twist laments that he's "bound and tied."

At the workhouse,Twist runs afoul of the evil Mr. Bumble (Matt Stevens).

The boy is chained and whipped by Bumble -- but the "punishment" is none too effective, because he quite enjoys it!

Twist is sold into a forced apprenticeship with Mr. Sowerberry (Kelly Roberts), an undertaker.

Having escaped Sowerberry, Twist makes his way to London and falls in with Dodger (Chris Carlisle).

Dodger offers Twist lodging at a house filled with prostitutes and pickpockets, presided over by Fagin (Alexandra Billings).

Fagin and his/her boys.

The amoral Fagin nearly takes advantage of Twist, but then thinks better of it.

On the streets of London, Twist meets Lady Downlow (Angela Nicholas) -- who, among other things, has a fetish for shoes.

All too soon, Twist is back in Fagin's clutches.

One of Fagin's cohorts, Nancy (Darrin Revitz), develops an affection for Twist.

For her efforts to help the boy, Nancy is murdered by her brutal lover, Bill Sikes (Justin Mortelliti)

Twist is told by a Constable (Billy Thompson) that Lady Downlow is looking for him.

The story ends with Twist, Dodger, and Lady Downlow living happily together.

TONIGHT, TONIGHT

A bold new production of West Side Story is being presented at John Jay College to mark the 50th anniversary of the immortal musical. Featuring a talented, multi-cultural cast and a Broadway-caliber orchestra, the production places the various members of the Sharks and Jets gangs in different generations spanning half a century in order to stress the point that violence born of hatred is unending. Here are some photos from the show, taken during the opening night performance on Tuesday, December 4. For further information, click here.

"The Jet Song," featuring Dan Kwiatkowski (aloft) as Riff.

"The Jets are in gear, our cylinders are clickin'!"

Riff prevails on his pal Tony to join the Jets in setting up a rumble with the Sharks that will decide the victor of the gangs' turf war.

Tony has a presentiment: "Something's coming; I don't know what it is, but it is gonna be great."

The dance at the gym is the scene of the gangs' confrontation.

Tony meets Maria (Abby Lee), sister of the Sharks' leader, Bernardo -- and the two fall in love at first sight.

Riff and Bernardo (Buenaventura Rodriguez) plan a "war council" to set terms for the rumble .

Tony is transported: "I've just met a girl named Maria, and suddenly that name will never be the same to me."

"Tonight, tonight, it all began tonight" -- Tony and Maria sing of their rapture.

Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita (Heather Refvem, far right), and the other Shark girls debate the merits of living in "America" as compared to Puerto Rico.

Riff advises the Jets to play it "Cool."

Tony convinces the Jets and Sharks that their turf war can be decided by a one-on-one fistfight.

Tony meets Maria at the bridal shop where she works, and the lovers pledge themselves to each other: "Now we begin, now we start, one hand, one heart."

The Jets, the Sharks, Maria, Tony, and Anita all look forward to "Tonight," though for different reasons.

When Tony attempts to stop the rumble altogether, things go awry and switchblades appear; Bernardo stabs Riff to death and then, in turn, Tony kills Bernardo.

Unaware of the tragedy that has occurred, Maria is euphoric ("I Feel Pretty").

After Chino has told Maria of the killings, Tony comes to her, and the lovers plan to run away.

The "Somewhere" ballet.

The Jets jokingly lament their juvenile delinquency in "Gee, Officer Krupke."

Tony and Maria spend a few precious hours together; then he leaves in order to get money for their escape.

Having overheard Maria talking with Tony, Anita berates her friend ("A Boy Like That"), but Maria is steadfast in her devotion ("I Have a Love").

Anita goes to warn Tony that Chino is gunning for him, but she is brutally taunted by the Jets, so she instead blurts out the false information that Chino has killed Maria.

Chino shoots Tony, who dies in Maria's arms. "Hold my hand and we're halfway there, hold my hand and I'll take you there -- somehow, someday, somewhere."