Guest Post: West Side Story in Basel

Guest Post by Tejal

Planning a weekend in the Swiss autumn is a no win proposition - there is the gorgeous colour and that sweet nip in the air that makes you long to be outdoors - only, when you are outdoors, the chill and the damp make you long to be in the warm indoors, cozy and tucked in.

Go out we did, the Musical Theatre in Basel was staging a revival of "West Side Story ". I chose this because it presented a great cultural alternative in a scene otherwise dominated by Depeche Mode and the guy who takes you trekking (also, I confused Basel with Bern, I thought it would be a oneish hour drive from Geneva. Yes I'm that clueless.)

The stunning drive to Basel made the journey totally worthwile from the get go. And the play was in English (the one fact I got right!)

While it can't be said that the production staged at Basel is upto A list Broadway or West End standards, there were a few great moments - Oneika Philips, playing Anita, managed to strike a chord.

To summarise, West Side Story is a Romeo and Juliet style love story set in the backdrop of teenage gang wars in New York. It has become iconic for its choreography and music (I Feel Pretty, Somewhere , America)

Check out "I Feel Pretty" as the theme song for this really cool Nike Commercial.





The unexpected icing on the cake was the beautiful town centre of Basel, as we wandered around the autumn goods market in the town centre, we regretted not getting there early enough in the day. Well... there's always a next time

(The West Side Story runs at the Musical Theatre in Basel till the 22nd of November, tickets can be found at www.ticketcorner.com)

Guest Blogger Bio: Tejal Nangla is a blogger and amateur writer, currently writing on her blog, Wide Eyed Gypsy.