By Brittany Greer

For The Observer

Playing the role of Maria in Northwest Mississippi Community College’s spring production of “West Side Story” is a dream come true for sophomore psychology major Abby Sewell from Walls.

“The first time I saw ‘West Side Story’ I knew I wanted to portray Maria someday,” Sewell said.  “When I found out the Theatre Department was doing the musical I had to try out for the role. I was so excited when I got the part. The story is a classic; it’s timeless.”

The role of Maria requires strong vocal skills, according to Sewell. 

“This is the role of a lifetime for a soprano,” she said. “Some of the songs require a two-octave range. It is very challenging, but it is what I love to do. I get to sing ‘I Feel Pretty,’ one of the most famous songs ever written in my opinion.”

Sewell has been singing and dancing for more than 15 years. She is a member of the Northwest Singers and Entertainers and has acted in “Cat’s” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”

For several of the actors, this is their first on-stage role. Derek Preusch, a sophomore secondary education major from Memphis, said he is nervous about singing in public for the first time.

“The other day I sat center stage and counted the number of seats in the auditorium,” he smiled. “Four-hundred and seven people will be watching. That’s a lot.

“My character, Tony, is head-over-heels for a girl he just met (Maria),” Preusch continued. “He’s in love and it’s romantic, but Tony and Maria are from two different worlds.”

This is the first big role for sophomore journalism major Roykeisha “Keke” Rockette from Water Valley.

“The singing is what drew me in,” she explained. “I listen to the music and practice my lines to prepare.”

Rockette is looking forward to the audience’s reaction to her character, Anita.

 “My character is very wild,” she observed. “Every actor has a wild side. When I’m on stage I go into Anita mode and walk on the wild side. I stay in Anita mode throughout practice.”

Northwest’s veteran actor Casey Davis, a sophomore theatre major from Olive Branch, finds comfort in being able to escape while on stage. 

“You take on someone else’s life when you are on stage,” he said. “Acting gives you the ability to escape for awhile.

“There are some exciting dance numbers in the production, but behind all that everyone can find a character in the story that they can relate to,” said Davis.

Davis has acted in Northwest’s production of “Guys and Dolls,” “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Tartuffe: Born Again” and “Cat’s.”

One method that Davis uses to prepare for his role is writing down his lines.

“I do this to not only learn my lines but to figure out the motivation behind my character’s words,” he explained.

“West Side Story,” originally a book by Arthur Laurents, was later made into a musical based on the plot of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The story takes place in New York City in the mid-1950s.

The Broadway production of “West Side Story” premiered in 1957 and ran for 732 performances, before going on tour. The production earned a Tony Award in 1957 for Jerome Robbins’ choreography. The production inspired the 1961 musical film of the same name, starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Monren, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn. It won 10 Academy Awards.

“West Side Story” explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two feuding street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

Tony, who is one of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. The production features musical scores by Leonard Bernstein including "Something's Coming," "Maria," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "One Hand, One Heart."

Director Jo Ellen Logan said, “After last year’s performance of ‘Cat’s,’ everyone kept asking me what I was going to do to top it. My response to them was ‘West Side Story.’ If you liked “Cat’s,’ you will love ‘West Side Story.’

“I am looking forward to seeing the response from the audience,” she added. “This 

is a musical that is a drama rather than a comedy, which will be interesting to see. The last scene is going to be really intense, and I want to see the audiences’ response.”

Susanne Spencer VanDyke will serve as musical director and Tiffany Harrison will serve as choreographer.

Cast members playing the Jets are Preusch as Tony, Ryan Marshall of Senatobia, J.C. Martin of Senatobia, Drew Carlton of Olive Branch, Win Vance of Clarksdale, Josh Simmons of Coffeeville, Daniel Diller of Senatobia and Oliver Harrison of Senatobia.

Playing their girls are Brittany Hill of Walls, Mary Shannon O’Hara of Hernando, Laura Lea Williams of Senatobia, Murphy Judd of Horn Lake and Briana Patton of Senatobia.

Cast members playing the Sharks are Anthony Guy of Olive Branch as Bernardo, Davis as Chino, Cody Reynolds of Southaven, Joe Arndt of Coldwater, Dameon Danford of Olive Branch, Samuel Williams of Irving, Texas, and Billy Leishmann.

Playing their girls are Sewell as Maria, Rockette as Anita, Lauren Fore of Senatobia, Audrey Harris of Byhalia, Stephanie Child of Southaven and Allison Wroblewski of Southaven.

Other cast members include Lindsey Belton of Olive Branch, Lloyd Dixon of Batesville, Harry Snelling of Batesville and Jim Anderson of Hernando. Coby Anderson of Hernando will perform the child solo and Shug Stroble of Senatobia will perform as the child dancer.

Performance dates for the play are Thursday–Saturday, March 4-6, at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Saturday–Sunday, March 6-7, at 2:30 p.m., in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the Senatobia campus.

Tickets may be purchased in advance through the Northwest Business Office, which is located in the basement of the James P. McCormick Administration Building. Tickets will also be available at the box office. General admission is $10 and $5 for seniors and Northwest students.

For more information contact Logan at 562-3328 or by e-mail at jelogan@northwestms.edu