WEST SIDE STORY Production "Changes" Statement Because the First One Didn't Go Over Well

On Thursday, the production management team behind Broadway’s West Side Story put out a statement that voiced their support for Amar Ramasar and their dismissal of those who oppose his casting. Their statement didn’t go over well on social media. In fact, I would say it backfired enormously. It resulted in many voicing their negative opinions online and pledging to boycott the show. Even those who weren’t taking a side admitted that the statement was poorly worded.

The other apparent error was their wording at the beginning of the statement which read, "The West Side Story Company stands, as it always has stood, with Amar Ramasar.” Seeing as how one cast member has already anonymously spoken out and it’s probable that the statement was made without bringing everyone together, the production team corrected it today.

It now reads, “The management of West Side Story stands, as it always has stood, with Amar Ramasar.” You may not think it, but this is a major change and perhaps more accurately describes the situation: 100% of the company isn’t supportive of Mr. Ramasar but the management team is.

I have another problem that the change wasn’t mentioned by Playbill who were exclusively sent the statement in the first place from the production team. Nowhere was the change mentioned on their website or social media accounts.

Thankfully, Vulture saw the change and reported it correctly. As seen here:

Since Playbill doesn’t attach the author’s name to the piece, this one falls on the head of Mark Peikert, Playbill’s Editor-in-Chief.

If websites like Playbill aren’t going to report on this story accurately and fairly, I would rather they just admit that their shills for producers and just put out press releases. But this is what we’ve come to expect from publications that rely on staying in the good graces of power producers in New York City.

This story is complex and nasty. It has a lot of moving parts and needs to be taken more seriously than these publications would have you think. Either way, the team at West Side Story knows that their first statement was as bad as we all thought it was.

I will continue to update you on this situation as the updates come in. I promise you will see ALL of them.