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2007 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the premiere of West Side Story. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp celebrating the show? With your help, we can make it happen. Please find in this issue a letter that you can send urging the USPS to honor West Side Story with a commemorative stamp. We hope you will sign and mail the enclosed letter. These campaigns really do work! For copy of recommended letter: http://www.wssonstage.com/USPScommemorative August 2005 Dance Camera West is a non-profit organization dedicated to introducing quality dance film from around the world to Los Angeles. Recently this organization presented a big screening of West Side Story, followed by a lively and informative panel discussion that included Tony Mordente, George Chakiris, Russ Tambly, Jaime Rogers, Bob Banas, Gina Trikonis, Carole D’Andrea, Rita Hyde and Maria Jimenez Henley. Russ mentioned how the New York playground scenes were filmed first and then the cast and crew went to the Hollywood sound stages. Upon completion of the filming it was discovered that the scene where Anybodys begs to join gang got destroyed, so all the Jets had to return to New York to refilm that scene. He joked that in a turn of a corner, everyone was now a year older. And they joked that those who had been enjoying themselves in Hollywood might actually look a year older. Then Russ commented, “Hell David Winters, with all his fun, had to have look three or four years older”.
May 2004 Question from BJ: My ma has just finished watching WSS and commented on how Baby John was far more, well, babyish than in the production my school put on; not just in demeanor but also his lines and he seems distinctively younger. Was this done purposely for the big screen? David’s answer: As an actor you try to portray life as close to the reality as possible. My main background was as an actor who danced and sang. Eliot Feld and most of the others came from a dance background. I had done over 100 TV shows as an actor by the time I did the original stage production of WSS. And yes I DID create the role of Baby John and let me try and explain to you how I as an actor work. There are many different techniques but as Stanislavski (he was probably the greatest director/ teacher ever) said, if my method works for you use it. If not try something else. So here we
go: So how do
you become the character? This is what you do once you have created a real life and a background for yourself as the character. It is a falsehood that you play old to be old and you play young to be young. When this process is happening internally your lines will find a life of their own. And they will come from the reality that you have created and you and the role you are playing will become one. This is how I created the Baby John character. I didn't act baby John....I WAS Baby John. It sounds complicated but once you do it, it isn't. I know this is a lot to digest and you may have to think about it for a while. BJ, if you have any questions I am only too happy to try to help you with them as you seem sincerely interested and drawn to the business. Either way, Best of luck to you young man David March 2004
I had
already created the part of Baby John in the Original
Broadway Production of West Side Story , so performing it
again was honestly of no real interest to me, career wise
or personally, except that for THIS production my best
buddy from the show , the multi talented Tony Mordente
had been hired to recreate all the Original Staging and
Choreography. And Chita Rivera ( To this day Tony and I
call her Chita Bita ) and Larry Kert and crazy ( in a
great way ) George Marcy had also been hired. As well as
Tucker Smith ( Tony and I used to call him Smucker Tith
), Gus Trikonis, Andre Tayir, and that sweety Maria Gava. I just
want to say that I love both Jerry and Steven dearly and
I am thankful to them for giving me the chance to be a
part of this monumental classic piece of American Theatre
History.
MAY 2003 West Side Story Memories: David on Broadway
On April 1, 2003, MGM released the Special Limited Edition DVD Collectors Set of the 1961 Oscar winning cinematic masterpiece, West Side Story. This two-disc set features behind-the scene-photos, interviews, and many other wonderful insights into the making of this revolutionary movie musical. But few can provide a first-hand, detailed report as David Winters, who was there at its genesis. It is well-documented that WSS was the perfect collaboration of the talents of Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents; and the very first casting decision made by this elite group was David Winters as Baby John in the original Broadway production. He would later be one of the few to make the transition to the film production. So, this month, we proudly present some of David's Broadway West Side Story memories. Please join us next month for his film memories. In the
beginning........... David was a just a teenager performing on Broadway in Shinebone Alley, staring Eartha Kitt, along with another up and coming gypsy, Chita Rivera, when he received a life altering phone call from the secretary to Jerome Robbins. Apparently Mr. Robbins had seen David the night before in Shinebone Alley and now wanted him to audition for his new show he was creating. It was going to be a contemporary musical version of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet and Robbins was looking for extremely multi-talented but young performers. When David arrived for the first of many auditions, he was shocked by the long line of hopefuls. Even though, to this day, he considers his initial audition less than awe-inspiring, he was called back a second time.... then a third.....and a fourth. However, the constant cutting of what he considered to be talented competition, made him less and less hopeful about his own chances of being cast. At his fifth audition, the teen found himself alone on stage facing Broadway icons Robbins, Leornard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Hal Prince, Bobby Griffith, and newcomer, Stephen Sondheim. After his performance, he stood there, feeling awkward, while the production team examined and discussed him, as if he were a racehorse. Finally, Robbins spoke: David was to play the pivotal role of Baby John, the youngest and most innocent of the gang members. David was stunned, not just because he realized it was a great role, but he was the first actor to be cast—before the main characters, the adults, the gang leaders—he was the first—a distinction that still thrills him today. Later, while still floating on cloud nine in the theatre, he overheard the same gentlemen discussing his dear friend, Chita Rivera, for the role of Anita. Rushing back to The Broadway Theatre for that evening’s Shinebone Alley performance, he pulled his Chita Bita (his pet name for her) aside and told her that she would soon receive a call and would be signed as Anita. As one can imagine, these two young kids were beside themselves with joy, as they hugged, screamed, danced, and jumped in circles, knowing they would soon be working for the Svengali himself, Robbins. Little did they realize just how significant this production would be to their careers, their lives and to American theatre in general.
Shortly afterwards, Shinebone Alley closed, the two, along with all the others began the legendary long and arduous rehearsal process for West Side Story. Viewing the production as a play rather than a light musical, Robbins commanded that each performer approach his part as an actor, instead of a dancer and singer. He also demanded a detailed autobiography for each character that included such information as family members, home environment, criminal arrests records, etc. This was fine with David, who was already a veteran of many live theatre and television performances. However, David felt a sense of insecurity in that he was one of the few non-ballet dancers. Although he was studying jazz dancing at the time, he was not prepared for the discipline and stretching that the morning class required. In fact, the young rebel used to sneak off and hide in a group of rolled up gym mats, where he would enjoy a nap until the floor work began.
Opening night Playbill After eight weeks of rehearsals, the play made its off-Broadway try-out debut in Washington D.C. for an audience made up of mainly politicians and socialites, such as Robert Kennedy. When the final curtain came down, the audience remained completely still and silent, causing a tidal of wave of despair backstage. After a few minutes, however, one person began clapping, joined in by another, then another, and within seconds, the whole theatre shook from the vibrations of extensive, hysterical applause. Later, the cast learned that the audience was so paralyzed with admiration that they were unable to applaud. At the opening night party, the continuous arrival of rave reviews created such a sense of euphoria, that the actors just took over the dance floor and recreated many of the dance numbers, treating the guests to a very special and once in a lifetime performance. From Washington D.C., the show traveled to Philadelphia, where once again, it enjoyed glorious reactions and reviews. Ironically, Robbins did not relax and bask in his glory, and the rehearsals actually became more frequent, longer and tougher. David still shudders when he recalls one morning, when two of his castmates arrived late to rehearsal that was taking place in a small downtown theatre, with a with a floor that can best be described as a dancer's nightmare: slivers of wood and nails sticking up all over the place. Upon the latecomers’ arrival, Jerry stopped the rest of the cast and told them to relax while he reviewed a dance sequence with the tardy dancers. The particular routine he selected was from The Prologue where they had to slide across the floor on their bellies and grab an opposing gang member. He made the two repeat this exercise over and over and David remembers cringing and feeling nauseous as he heard the wood slivers actually rip through their shirts and right into their skin. But David credits them for being troupers and hanging in there, even though they were cut up, bruised and sore for days. Another memory that adds to Robbins' hellacious reputation, is when Robbins ordered the cast to sit down on stage, facing out into the audience, while he sat on a chair facing them, hurling insults at them. Robbins got so riled up, that he stood up and began pacing aimlessly, waving his hands all over the place, while he continued the insults. As Robbins moved dangerously closer and closer to the edge of the stage, the cast and crew, all of them, kept quiet. No one spoke up or made a gesture, or did anything that would give the irate director warning that he might fall and seriously hurt himself. In fact, David could sense a collective wish that Karma would step in and push the tyrant right into the orchestra pit. But no satisfaction was to be had by the cast. Robbins, perhaps protected my his muses, stopped right at the edge, looked down into the pit for a few minutes and then, in a chilling moment, turned and presented the cast with a most sadistic Mona Lisa smile, that reminded every one of them, that he knew what exactly they were thinking and they would pay for it. He always had the last laugh. These were not isolated incidents, and maybe it was a survival instinct or savviness or a combination of both, but David, and his good friend, Tony Mordente, became experts in recognizing the signs of the oncoming tantrums for which Robbins was famous. Happily, they also perfected the technique of slyly moving out of target range. One may be a Jet all the way, but in those days, it was every man for himself. David will now admit that back then he didn’t recognize how Terpsichore had placed him under the guardianship of a true genius, but years later, he began to recognize and appreciate the gifts Robbins bestowed upon him. As David segued more and more into directing and producing, David implemented the many lessons and work habits he picked up from his mentor. Today, David credits those years under Robbins as the foundation of his long and successful career. By the time the show hit Broadway, it was already a legend. But for all the hype and grand reviews, the best moment for David was the pride that he saw in the faces of his parents and grandparents. He also cherishes the joy they displayed as he escorted them backstage and introduced them to the rest of the cast.
David continued as Baby John for most of the run, and in order to keep his performance sharp and fresh, he claimed the 3' x 3' area around him as his own personal turf and anytime any of the Sharks stepped into that area, he took it personally and reacted as such. Another favorite memory was the special Actor's Equity Performance. Back then, every show used to be dark on Sunday and each week, one show would do a special performance for the casts and crews of all the other currents shows. Needless to say, David and the others were aware that they were the inexperienced young turks of the great white way, getting all the great publicity; and now they were facing their toughest critics: their peers, many of them seasoned performers. And since tickets for this one show had been in such high demand, the pressure to give the ultimate performance was high. So high, that Leonard Bernstein himself actually stepped in and rehearsed the show. To this day, David is still in awe with Bernstein’s magic and strength that was so infectious and how he was able to bring out the best in the performers. His animation and energy was simply inspirational that David and the rest of the cast were surprised by the depth of sounds that were squeezed out of them. In the end, David and his cast mates delivered what he considers to be the greatest performance of WSS ever, with every number being a show-stopper. West Side Story also marked a significant transition period for David as well. For the first time, he was playing a somewhat adult role, and was considered a heartthrob by many of the young female fans. Besides dealing with autograph seekers by the stage door every evening, and even on just walking down the street, David and the rest of the cast enjoyed the envy and respect of the theatre community in general. When they attended their regular dance and acting classes, others would stare at them with awe. Another perk was all the invitations to parties and events. It was a magical time for David.
There were also changes happening off-stage. After 17 years of being an only child, David found out that his parents, Sadie and Samuel, were going to present him with a sibling. Being a big brother was another role in which David took seriously and enjoyed. Like his big brother, Marc enjoyed performing as a child, but eventually ventured into the business world. Today, David and Marc enjoy a very close and loving relationship. JUNE 2003 On April 1, 2003, MGM released the Special Limited Edition DVD Collectors Set of the 1961 Oscar winning cinematic masterpiece, West Side Story. This two-disc set features behind-the scene-photos, interviews, and many other wonderful insights into the making of this revolutionary movie musical. But few can provide a first-hand, detailed report as David Winters, who was there at its genesis. It is well-documented that WSS was the perfect collaboration of the talents of Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents; and the very first casting decision made by this elite group was David Winters as Baby John in the original Broadway production. He would later be one of the few to make the transition to the film production. Last month, David's shared some of his favorite Broadway West Side Story memories. This month, we are pleased to present some of his favorite West Side Story film memories.
London calling: While David did not cross that Atlantic to star in the London West End production of West Side Story (moving onto the Broadway musical, Gypsy, another Jerome Robbins Stephen Sondheim show instead—but that’s another monthly feature, next month, as a matter of fact), he did eventually make his triumphant return to his hometown London, England and the West End to introduce the world to his portrayal of the Artful Dodger in the new, and to be award-winning musical, Oliver. However while in the midst of rehearsing with Georgia Brown and creator/writer Lionel Bart, David received another life-altering call from the Jerome Robbins’ camp: West Side Story was being made into a movie and Robbins wanted David in it. After an excruciating all night session, where he had to make a rather difficult choice, he talked it over with Lionel and decided to do the film of WSS. Good-bye Artful Dodger; Hello ??????? David so believed in the film and in Jerome Robbins, that he jumped onto the next plane to the states without even knowing which part he would be offered. In true Robbinsesque style, Jerry would not guarantee a specific role, but instead, told David that he might reprise his signature role of Baby John, but then again, he might be given the part of Baby John’s protector and mentor, A-Rab; and then again, maybe the angry young man, Action. But for sure he would play one of those roles .David was making an important choice purely on blind faith and his belief in Jerry. Once rehearsals commenced, Jerry would take the all the guys and put them into groups and then sit back and just stare at them. Then he would create new groups and again just stare at them. "It was Jerry being Jerry, trying to surprise, but also providing a bit of angst," David would later say. Although, he was flattered to be considered for a couple of roles, he was very much hoping for the role of Baby John, because he really loved the two solos that he had created for the Broadway production: the Social Worker in Officer Krupke and the explosive POW! SOLO Segment in Cool. These solos were now a large part of the Baby John character. But in the end, David was cast as A-Rab and Baby John went to Eliot Feld, with Tony Mordente, the original A-Rab, becoming Action. David understood the casting of the co-directors, Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, as Eliot was the youngest actor and if he wasn’t cast as the youngest Jet, it might have been hard to place him elsewhere within the gang. David was thrilled when Robbins decided to add to Baby John’s vulnerability and innocence (who else would go into Shark territory and paint alone?), by making Baby John the victim of the Sharks’ attack as oppose to A-Rab. This allowed David’s A-Rab to come in and help protect him from the Sharks and from Shranks’ interrogation, thus, establishing their special bond early in the film. However, again, in typical Robbins’ style, one day, out of the blue, Robbins just stopped the rehearsals and asked David to demonstrate the variation of Cool in front of the entire WSS cast. Upon completion, all the other actors applauded David and Jerry then announced to the entire cast, that David would be recreating the Cool and Social Worker variations for the screen. Needless to say, David, while surprised, was over the top with joy.
Playing the protector to the sweet Baby John proved to be easy for David, as he and Eliot shared the stage together when they were much younger, in Sandbox, an off-Broadway musical that played at the Phoenix Theatre in downtown, New York City, and so a relationship had already been established in real life.
Perhaps another bonding situation for them was that Robbins decided both guys needed to be more strawberry blonde, to appear more All-American and also to look younger. So every three weeks, these two Jets, would sneak into the Cinema Hairstylist on Sunset Blvd, get their dye jobs and then sneak out again. Whilst inside, David would take lots of pictures of all the Hollywood stars who were also getting their hair dyed. But he is sworn to secrecy.
Another highlight of working on the film for David was the chance to work again with his good Broadway buddy, and partner in crime, Tony Mordente. While David was in awe of Tony’s work as A-Rab on stage, he opted not to work with or seek advice from Tony in his creation of A-Rab. David had a feeling that this movie was destined to win a few Academy Awards and to become a classic, and he wanted to develop a fresh, sharp character that would be his own and that would stand the test of time. David began by digging deep into his own make-up and pulling up the commonalties: youthful, comedic, sharp-tongue, edgy, protective, feisty etc. In the end, David portrayed a young man, with an edge that used humor as a coping mechanism; a young man who was capable of being close to a bully such as Action, but who also worked to keep him away from weaker gang members; a young man who would consider Action as family but would never really trust him. On Broadway, David and Tony played characters that were best friends, and that spilled over into their real lives. In the film, their sense of brotherhood is apparent in such scenes as the Jet Song, and Dance at the Gym. For other scenes, such as Cool, David left his friendship with Tony behind. But today, A-Rabina and Beta S. John (nicknames they gave each other while on Broadway) still enjoy a close friendship and prove that When you’re a Jet, you…. Stay……… a Jet.
Monkey Business: During his West Side Story years, David owned two white faced ringtail caputian monkeys. The first one during the Broadway run of WSS used to sit on David’s shoulder as they rode around New York City on his motor scooter or motorbike, he had both. Amazingly enough, David also found room to cart his conga drum around. The pair usually ended up in the Greenwich Village, and there with his friends, he would be perform and play music into the early hours of the morning. All of David’s friends were artists, singers, dancers, musicians, painters, etc. So everyday and almost every night after the show, David and his friends would invade one of the coffee shops in the village and take it over. They would perform for free much to the delight of all the customers there and were always rewarded with food and drinks bought for them by the happy customers. He also traveled with street painters who would, at no cost, draw pictures of the customers, which they seem to cherish. It was a very free and magical time in David’s life. In LA, during the filming of the WSS, David purchased another monkey and christened it, A-Rab; and the creature would live up to its name. One day while walking down the street, they happen to pass a synagogue, and perhaps it was divine intervention, but the primate, A-Rab, broke loose and for what seemed an eternity ran in, up and down the aisles, eventually ending up on the rabbi’s head, as David tried in vain to coax the critter down. A-Rab eventually jumped back into David’s arms. The Rabbi took it all in stride and they all shared a good laugh together, including A-Rab. Fellow Rebel: Another highlight for David during the filming was staying in LA with his good buddy from NYC, teen-age idol, and Academy Award nominee, Sal Mineo. Sal and David had been classmates at the Lodge Professional School, a school for professional young actors, where David had a scholarship. Sal had been playing the Crown Prince in Robbins’ The King and I when he had been brought out to Hollywood to make such movies, as Rebel Without a Cause, Giant, The Gene Krupa Story, and Someone Up There Likes Me, etc. Now in Hollywood, Sal was living in a fabulous house up in the Hollywood Hills just above famed Sunset Blvd. with a great view. He also had a great to die for car, a Thunderbird convertible, which he let David drive and which David proceeded to crash. But in the tradition of Womb to Tomb, Sperm to Worm, Sal was only concerned with David’s welfare, even though David had totaled Sal’s car. Through Sal, David met and partied with many of Hollywood’s young turks and top celebrities of that era: James Dean, Nick Adams, Vampira, Dennis Hopper, and Dean Stockwell, whom he would eventually fix up with his ex-girlfriend and dance assistant, Toni Basil (who had the #1 hit, Hey Mickey). And of course, he became close with the beautiful Natalie Wood and her boyfriend/husband, Robert Wagner. Robert was quite impressed with David’s talent and recommended him to Morton DaCosta, the director of Music Man, but it was decided that David as too old for the part. David’s pal Ron Howard, who eventually played the little brother in the film, and then went on to be one of the stars of TV’s Happy Days would follow David’s direction and move into directing/producing and winning the Academy Award for Best Director for A Beautiful Mind. David’ friendship with Natalie proved to be quite useful on the movie set, as David and Tony Mordente recreated their off-stage roles as major pranksters. One day, while they were filming in New York, it was an incredibly hot day, with not a cloud in the sky, and some of the crew was actually frying eggs on the sidewalks. The poor dancers were all using shami cloths from the ice bucket on their necks between takes, but, there was little they could do about the heat creeping through their sneakers and burning their soles. Out of the blue, Tony dared David to call God and order some rain. David dialed on an imaginary phone and who knows what number he dialed, but he told Tony that God decreed that if they wanted rain, they would have to do a Rain Dance, just like the Indians. So this puckish pair, recruited all the Jets, and together the young men performed a Native American style Circle dance, complete with whooping sounds. And as the fates would have it, within five minutes, the Jets had their rain, forcing the cancellation of the scheduled outdoor shooting. Co-director Wise was furious and ordered everyone to a local school hall where he announced everyone could go home for the day EXCEPT the Jets, who had to stay and rehearse for the rest of the day. Oh, and he also announced that there would be no more Rain Dances!
Moving to LA did not stop the hijinks on the set. It is known that Cool, while amazing to watch, is an incredibly demanding dance on the body, especially the knees. It didn’t help that the garage was hot and stuffy and that Robbins made them rehearse and film that sequence many, many times over. After the very last take, David, Tony, and the rest of the gang, gathered their well-used knee pads, threw them into a garbage can and lit the can on fire in front of Robbins office on the MGM lot. The fire became quite large and the Samuel Goldwyn Studio bosses called the fire department. Hoping to escape the wrath of their tireless leader, Jerry, and of Wise (who still had not forgotten about the infamous Rain Dance), David and Tony ran into Natalie’s dressing room. As luck would have it, Natalie was schedule to shoot a scene next, so, in the spirit of fun, she and the two guys poured ketchup all over one another, making it appear that a bloody scuffled had just taken place. When the Assistant Director opened her door, he saw a room with every piece of furniture overturned and still and bloodied bodies lying all around. This, on top of having a fire going on, totally unnerved the poor guy, who let out an ear-wrecking scream, as he ran back to the set screaming that there had been a killing. The bratty actors then cleaned-up and straightened the room as if nothing had ever happened. Somehow, through all this craziness, a wonderful classic film was made. Next month: The coolest guy does Gypsy. P.S. David wants you to know that when Robert Wise wasn’t looking, (shhh) they still did rain dances. And it worked, because it actually rained quite a bit in New York City when they were filming there. And a 2 week shoot became a 2 month shoot. See you next month. |
