Movie Musical Appreciation Week

Ok, next up- “Cool” from West Side Story. I pretty much love everything that Jerome Robbins does in this show and in the movie, but this number in particular is just masterful. I had two numbers on my Must Perform list- “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago and “Cool”. I was lucky enough to do “Cell Block” on Broadway and my one regret in my career is that I never did West Side. C’est la vie, I live it vicariously through this scene.

The way that Robbins tells story and expresses emotion through dance is unmatched by any other choreographer in the history of modern choreography, or so says me anyway.

Just watch these guys and gals simmer and come to a boil. They spend most of the number bubbling and trying to keep their lids on, and finally explode before coming back down to a slow simmer, still boiling inside. Such amazing tension is created through the movement, his steps in this number are like an onomatopoeia- they look like the characters feel.

It’s a great acting piece and those that worked with Robbins always said he much preferred actors to dancers and was notoriously nicer to them. In “Cool”, the dancers have to be equally good actors which is tough because you really have to be a badass balls to the wall dancer to pull off these steps.

I just love how they put their guts into this. “Cool” is full on guts for glory emotion meets inspired choreography. The camera angles and the long dolly shot as they run forward is of course iconic as well. I just love everything about it. Masterful indeed.

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