A modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet opens tonight on the McLeod Theater stage as SIUC presents the critically acclaimed musical West Side Story.

The melodramatic musical plot has a dark, passionate feeling. The stage sets reflect that tone with shadowed streets and brick buildings.

Vivid yellow, pink, red and purple costumes also help to set the tone as the colors accentuate the personalities of the characters who wear them.

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The show, set in New York City, chronicles the forbidden love that grows between Tony and Maria, two members of rival gangs.

The lives of the two main characters revolve around their respective gangs, the Jets, who are American, and the Sharks, who are Puerto Rican.

J. Shane Phillips gives an emotionally charged performance as Tony, the founder of the Jets, who wishes desperately to find something beyond the gang that will give meaning to his life.

Julie Barber plays the enamored Maria, who is forbidden by her brother Bernardo to have anything to do with the Italian-American Tony. The lovers are forced together when the two gangs meet for a rumble.

The most powerful scenes of the musical are when Tony and Maria take the stage together. Barber and Phillips have incredible vocal ranges, and their voices blend beautifully.

When Tony sneaks to Maria’s balcony and the two hold each other and sing of the night they will be together, it literally can send chills up the viewer’s spine.

West Side Story, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, is filled with difficult dance numbers by Jerome Robbins.

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With dance numbers that involve 14 to 26 performers at a time, the actors seem to have difficulty in performing the choreography smooth.

The opening scene should be a powerful number that grabs the audience members’ attention, but instead it lacks the required energy.

The orchestra, however, plays Bernstein’s music perfectly.

The number America, featuring the Shark girls, is one of the better numbers. Anita, played by Janelle Morey, is perfect as Bernardo’s cool and sleek girlfriend who sings about the wonders of America and all the material items she has acquired.

The musical is a difficult one and is supported by a talented cast. Each character has passion and personality that are conveyed throughout the performance.

Despite the small problems with choreography, this show should not be missed.

West Side Story starts tonight at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $5 for students to $10 for adults who do not attend SIUC.