There's always danger when you reinvent a classic. The Broadway show simply has a hard time living up to the classic 1961 film.
One of the main points of contention is the show's use of Spanish. When the Puerto Rican characters are alone on stage they spoke mostly in their native tongue. The lyrics and verses assigned to the Sharks are also in Spanish. I guess this was done in an effort to maintain authenticity and retain a PC distance from the film, which was equally famous for its whitewashed cast playing "ethnic." And in some ways, it works and gives the live show its own identity. But if you come to the show because you loved the film, you will be upset not to here "I feel pretty" in English and sing along in your head. I definitely felt a bit left out at times, distanced from the musical I know so well.
That said, the show had it's positive points as well. The music from the live orchestra was fantastic. The dancing, the energy from the young cast, the swirl of color and costume- perfectly Broadway. I thought the leads were great- Tony, Maria and Anita especially. And they really captured the emotion of the play. I even shed a few tears at the end.
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