ASHLAND —
If a case of nerves can set in on opening night, what if you have 80 opening nights?
That’s the case for the cast of “West Side Story,” a show that will make a stop at the Paramount Arts Center on Thursday and Friday.
Michelle Alves, 30, who portrays Anita, said although the tour is a long one, ending in June, she’s thrilled to have the chance to be in the show so many times.
“It’s a very long tour, I know, but for us, it’s not going to be enough because we’re all in love with this show,” the Puerto Rican actress said of her first national tour.
She said her friends were surprised she’d never been cast in the show. “It’s my dream show,” she said, adding her favorite song in the show is “A Boy Like That,” which is in the second act. “It’s a very dramatic song and it’s when the whole drama begins.
“I never get tired of it,” she said.
“West Side Story” is an intense love story that debuted on Broadway more than 40 years ago. This revival, with a Bernstein and Sondheim score, features many familiar tunes, including “Something's Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere.”
Technical rehearsals began about a week ago at the Paramount. Those rehearsals involve getting lighting, sound and scenery perfect for every scene in the show, Alves said.
Speaking while traveling through West Virginia, she said she and other cast members were expected to arrive Monday to begin full rehearsals with the technical crew, making sure actors’ movements coordinate with all the aspects technical workers have been preparing for a week plus rehearsing in costume and with microphones.
“We’ll make sure everything runs the way it’s supposed to from top to bottom,” she said.
In her role as Anita, she said she’s in a caretaking position with Maria.
“I know she’s growing up and falling in love,” she said. “I treat her like the young lady that she is. ... It’s a perfect role.”
LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.
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‘West Side Story’ at PAC Thursday, Friday
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