By Alison

They’re finally making some decent use of that Fascist-looking slab of concrete otherwise known as Dundas Square this summer with free screenings of classic Hollywood musicals every Tuesday night at 8:30. Tonight’s offering, to both Glenn Sumi‘s and our delight, is one of our favourite cinematic renderings of our other favourite city. West Side Story, a modernized Romeo and Juliet with a stunning score by Leonard Bernstein, marked the beginning of Stephen Sondheim’s career as a Broadway lyricist known for his clever, catchy rhymes (“Everything free in America/For a small fee in America…”). In this New York, gang warfare is balletic, accompanied by Bernstein’s haunting tunes, and grande jetés have never looked more macho. We dare you to walk away without imitating that signature whistle and finger-snap.