West Side Story in Spain - The Transcultural Adaptation of an Iconic American Show

West Side Story first became famous in Spain when the Robert Wise film opened there in 1962, the version remaining popular for decades. Brief international tours came to various cities in Spain in the 1980s, but their presence did not diminish memory of the film, which played a major influence on the country's first stage adaptation of the show in 1996. Directed by Ricard Reguant and produced in Barcelona by Focus, the production also toured. After another international tour played in three Spanish cities in summer 2009, the Madrid company SOM Produce mounted a rendition in 2018 directed and choreographed by Federico Barrios, the first Spanish stage version based on the original 1957 staging. This Element compares the adaptations of the 1996 and 2018 versions in detail, illuminating issues encountered when translating a musical for another culture.

List of contents

1. Introduction. 2. First encounters of West Side Story with Spanish culture in the 1950s and 1960s; 3. West Side Story in Spain in the 1980s; 4. Ricard Reguant and focus's production (1996); 5. The West Side Story summer tour (2009); 6. 'El clásico original de Broadway¿' (2018); 7. Comparing the adaptations by Albert Mas-Griera (1996) and David Serrano (2018); 8. Steven Spielberg's West Side Story arrives in Spain (2021); 9. Conclusion; Bibliography.

Summary

This Element compares the adaptations of the 1996 and 2018 versions of West Side Story in detail, illuminating issues encountered when translating a musical for another culture. This Element concludes with the Spanish reception of the 2021 film by Steven Spielberg.

Product details

• Authors: Paul R Laird, Paul R. Laird, Paul R. (University of Kansas) Laird, Paul R. (University of Kansas) Monte Laird, Laird Paul R., Gonzalo Fernandez Monte, Gonzalo Fernández Monte
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.07.2022
• EAN: 9781108970457
• ISBN: 978-1-108-97045-7
• No. of pages: 75
• Series: Elements in Musical Theatre
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Music > General, dictionaries; 20th Century, MUSIC / Genres & Styles / Classical, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, 20th Century & Contemporary Classical Music, Art music, orchestral and formal music