West Side Story Sin Queso

Looks like In the Heights made Broadway stand up and take notice of the Latino population's theatergoing potential--and everyone else's enthusiasm for Latino dance/music flavor. Yesterday's announcement that West Side Story is headed for a 2009 revival and considerable reworking is another obvious step toward continued diversification of the Great White Way. I'm not going to speculate about whether Latin culture, as depicted through a Sondheim filter, will manage to make its way to the forefront of this new production, but you can bet a whole lot of Latino actors will round out the cast, and as a result, will most likely deepen the show's conflict and resonance.