The Weekender

Published on Friday 14 November 2008 15:43

THEATRE

Does it get any better than the marriage of choreographer Jerome Robbins, composer Leonard Bernstein and lyricist Stephen Sondheim?

Yes, it's the greatest modern musical of them all, and it's in Glasgow this weekend. This production of West Side Story has been wowing audiences all over the world and marks the original stage show's 50th anniversary.

It's a pretty stripped-down affair, directed by one of Robbins' dancers, Joey McKneely, who removes the 1950s look but keeps the original street spirit in this classic story of warring gangs in New York's Upper West Side.

Some of the hoodlum accents are a bit hokey and Daniel Koek, who plays the male lead Tony, is a bit drippy; but wasn't that the case even in the film? Nevertheless, don't miss this chance to watch some of the greatest choreography of the last half a century.

Theatre Royal, Glasgow, until November 25, 7.30pm; Saturday matinee 2.30pm; box office 0870 060 6647

MUSIC

If you're after something a bit more up to date, there are a few good gigs around this weekend.

At Glasgow's ABC on Saturday night, 7pm, the young, ferociously talented Dizzee Rascal brings his squawking sounds to the city.

The following night at the same venue, TV on the Radio play songs from their new poppier album, Dear Science. If you haven't heard the Brooklyn alchemists yet, whose contributors include David Bowie and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, you're in for a treat.

On Sunday night, at Edinburgh Festival Theatre, the wonderful Neeme Jrvi joins the RSNO for a performance of Prokofiev's great Symphony No.5, the most popular of his seven. Sibelius' Violin Concerto, performed by soloist Vadim Gluzman, and The Oceanides complete the programme, atmospherically titled Fire And Ice. The same concert takes place in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall on the previous night.

ART

In visual art the Gerhard Richter exhibition, which has just opened at Edinburgh's National Gallery complex and runs until January 4, is the hot ticket of the week.

The German pop artist is one of the most influential living practitioners we have and this is the first major retrospective of his paintings to be held in Britain since 1991 as well as the first ever in Scotland.

Our visual art critic Moira Jeffrey points out that his work throws up more questions than answers, but he remains a major artist and this is a major show.