Norwegian Jets and Sharks

My dad invited me to West Side Story last night. I loved it! It's probably been five years since my last musical, and possibly the original was better (as one reviewer pointed out) - but the original is always best, isn't it? And this was my version!

They'd mustered what Norway has to offer of non-Scandinavian looking artists to make up the Sharks - here Arlene Wilkes (originally from Trinidad) as Anita, dancing with her Bernardo (Kjetil Tefke, Norwegian).

"America" was chosen as the last number of first act (you know the one, I used to think the lyrics were "lalala-lala-Ame-ri-ca", apparently there were words...), I had goosebumps all the way through, no less.

And even though I knew the story I cried towards the end...

I didn't quite feel the sparks from Maria and Tony's relationship, but it was fair enough. [I was only slightly put off by the fact that "Tony" reminds me extremely of someone, and as I couldn't (still can't) remember who, I started thinking more of that than of his character...]

And Kjetil Tefke - did leave me breathless... Incidentally, Siljemor danced with him an entire night out on town this summer. Say no more!

After all was said and done (and danced), it seemed my dad and I were the only ones who knew how to whistle (and I mean really whistle) and his was a little rusty (he doesn't get to do it a lot around the house...) so I filled the air while the rest of the audience had to make do with oohs and aahs...