West Bank Story
The "West Bank Story" is a spoof and a take- off of the Broadway hit, "Westside Story"; which is, itself, a musical version of Romeo and Juliet.
In the place of Sharks and Jets, we find singing and dancing Palestinians and Jews in competition for the fast food industry in their shared town. Imagine this… the KosherKing (like BurgerKing) side by side with the Hummus Hut. The opening scenes are eerily similar to the movie version of Arthur Laurents’ original script of Westside Story; complete with Jerome Robbins’ choreography, but the “gangs” are comic relief. The Jews and the Palestinians fight with snapping fingers and rapid dance steps and somehow my mind had trouble believing what I was seeing.
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t what I got. I laughed until I cried. The 1957 musical was nominated for a Tony, and the 2006 West Bank was a short which won an Academy Award for “Live Action”. The musical parts are really what I liked best and were so well done that I feel these must have had a lot of influence in the nominations… I guess that’s the live action, right? Then again the dialog was very funny and corny, too.
While the older brothers are arguing over territory, Fatima, the Humus Hut counter girl and David, the young Israeli soldier… are falling in love. As the lovers search for a way to be together, the Jewish brother begins building a wall between the two businesses to hide his competitor’s sign. The Palestinian brother responds by preparing Molotov cocktails to blow the wall apart.
In the end, though the lovers try to make peace between their families, their pleas do not succeed. The hatred is too strong.
Then, in the midst of chaos… a miracle! The older brothers are drawn together by commerce… money talks and people are hungry for their breakfasts. Falafel brings world peace as the Jews and Arabs line up together for breakfast. Hooray!
Oh, and the young lovers share a kiss, at the end.
In the place of Sharks and Jets, we find singing and dancing Palestinians and Jews in competition for the fast food industry in their shared town. Imagine this… the KosherKing (like BurgerKing) side by side with the Hummus Hut. The opening scenes are eerily similar to the movie version of Arthur Laurents’ original script of Westside Story; complete with Jerome Robbins’ choreography, but the “gangs” are comic relief. The Jews and the Palestinians fight with snapping fingers and rapid dance steps and somehow my mind had trouble believing what I was seeing.
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t what I got. I laughed until I cried. The 1957 musical was nominated for a Tony, and the 2006 West Bank was a short which won an Academy Award for “Live Action”. The musical parts are really what I liked best and were so well done that I feel these must have had a lot of influence in the nominations… I guess that’s the live action, right? Then again the dialog was very funny and corny, too.
While the older brothers are arguing over territory, Fatima, the Humus Hut counter girl and David, the young Israeli soldier… are falling in love. As the lovers search for a way to be together, the Jewish brother begins building a wall between the two businesses to hide his competitor’s sign. The Palestinian brother responds by preparing Molotov cocktails to blow the wall apart.
In the end, though the lovers try to make peace between their families, their pleas do not succeed. The hatred is too strong.
Then, in the midst of chaos… a miracle! The older brothers are drawn together by commerce… money talks and people are hungry for their breakfasts. Falafel brings world peace as the Jews and Arabs line up together for breakfast. Hooray!
Oh, and the young lovers share a kiss, at the end.
posted by Alicia at
8:16 PM
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