Alan, the site I think you are referring to was entitled, West Side Story on Stage.com (or WSSonstage) I don't know if it exists any more. As far as Bernstein conducting the whole show on the first opening night, I don't think this is true.
There was nothing in the papers or the reviews that mentioned this, and it certainly would have been newsworthy at the time. At the 60th anniversary forum last September (a truly amazing evening) Carol Lawrence recalled the final moments
of the musical's opening night, the silence as the curtain went down and the applause that followed. If Bernstein had been in the pit at that moment, she would have probably added something about that.
I also think that given Robbins's obsessive control over the whole proceedings, he would have seen Bernstein's conducting the whole show as a distraction, and not wanted it. Max Goberman was the original conductor.
Interesting sidelight: When Robbins' ballet Les Noces premiered at the New York State theater in spring 65, Bernstein did conduct the opening performance. The orchestra and Bernstein were placed behind the dancers at the back
of the stage, and Bernstein's conducting style was extremely laid back and functional. |
