Here's the last part of the New York Times obit:
Mr. Johnson’s association with “West Side Story” lasted even longer than his connection to Mr. Brooks. In addition to the roles he played, he became the show’s dance captain, requiring him to learn everyone’s steps and make sure Jerome Robbins’s choreography was followed. That role broadened when Mr. Robbins recommended Mr. Johnson to restage the show with the original choreography for revivals around the country.
“My responsibility is to do exactly what Jerry Robbins put on the stage of the Winter Garden back in 1957,” he told The Los Angeles Times in 1997, when he had restaged about 25 “West Side” productions. “People ask me, ‘Are you tempted to jazz it up?’ and I answer, ‘No.’ ”
He added: “Because it was so good, it’s lasted. It’s become a classic. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” |
