Upon hearing that the Oberlin Musical Theater Association would be performing West Side Story over Winter Term, I was skeptical of almost every aspect of its production. West Side Story, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, is a musical of grand scale: the score is challenging, good choreography is essential to the drama and, of course, the storyline is heart-wrenching. I was sure it would be impossible to master such ambitious work given the time, space and population constraints of Winter Term.

I was wrong. The cast of West Side Story, directed by junior Jean Hiebert, saved the production from serious criticism with their unwavering energy and dedication to their characters. The orchestra executed the score with facility and verve. The choreography, designed by junior Jan-Margaret J. Llorens, was well-suited to a cast of non-dancers: it was not so active that the vocal integrity of the cast was compromised, but it managed to capture the idioms of the period and drive many a Jet to perspiration. Llorens should be congratulated also on her ability to manipulate dancers in such a cramped stage area. Music director Michael Sakir is to be commended as well for recognizing the importance of the score and miraculously managing to pull together an orchestra of quality musicians that (slightly) dwarfed the size of the cast. Even more miraculous is the fact that there was never a moment in the production where the pit overpowered the singers.

Playing the role of Tony, junior Alek Shrader was mesmerizing. He captured the perfect tone and timbre for every word, and his solos were of a sweet sonority, void of stereotypical tenor stridence. As Riff, Jason Bayus was equally impressive, commanding his gang with no-nonsense authority and throwing down an accent so close to Russ Tamblyn’s that I felt I had drifted right into 1950s New York. Other noteworthy performances were given by Annie Mosbacher, who rendered a convincing Anita, showing off her crispy voice and authentic tears in “A Boy Like That,” and junior Natalie Fagnan as Maria, who looked totally lost in love for the full two hours.

If there is one number in the show that is immune to the poverty of a minimal set and a limited cast, it’s “Officer Krupke,” the show-stopping montage that mocks the city’s authorities. Matthew Castleman, Sam Levine, Alex Paik and Eli Traverse were so enthusiastic about roughing each other up, they inadvertantly lost pieces of their props to the audience. That and a little strained falsetto, well, that’s entertainment.

Ultimately, West Side Story was thoroughly enjoyable. It’s tricky business to put on a production that is so well-known and loved, throwing students on stage and expecting them to have mastered the intricacies of the characters in just one month’s time. There is, however, another side to this story: the foundation of the show — the score, libretto and script — is so legendary for its greatness that it is close to impossible to ruin its effect. Instead of being disappointed with the small scale of the production, the audience was thrilled just to be experiencing it and those who participated were visibly ecstatic to be taking part.