West Side Story Returns To Broadway With Controversy

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

The return of the legendary musical West Side Story to the theaters in New York has been marred by the unease generated by the presence in its cast of a dancer allegedly involved in a sex scandal.

Amar Ramasar, 38, who plays one of the main roles in the play, has been accused of denigrating women by sharing intimate photographs without the consent of those involved.

"Ramasar was one of the men at the center of the biggest #MeToo scandal in the [world of] ballet, but despite this he was chosen for the role of Bernardo" less than two years later, "the organizers of the protest in favor of the dancer's departure from production.

Since last January, protesters have been meeting in front of the Broadway Theater to express their displeasure.

According to the digital newspaper Deadline, Ramasar was fired in 2018 along with two other colleagues for allegedly having shared sexual photos of then girlfriend, Alexa Maxwel, with his friend Chase Finlay, who in turn also sent him photos of his girlfriend, Alexandra Waterbury..

Maxwell explained on Instagram that he was aware that the photo had been shared and that the couple were "building a loving and happy relationship."

"The incident was a personal matter between Amar and me, and I agree with what happened," he added.

Ramasar was reinstated after union arbitration and continues to be a member of the ballet company.

In addition to the protests, a petition was created on the Change.org website where signatures are also collected to force Ramasar to exit production. They currently have almost 50,000 names.

The new version of West Side Story is directed by the Belgian Ivo Van Hove and choreographed by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, who seek to give a modern twist to the musical that Leornard Bersntein premiered in the 1950s and in which it adapts to the New York of that era the history of Romeo and Juliet.