Gayadas de Caliman13: "Web Site Story" Video Parodia.

ARTS BEAT. NYT
Feeling Tweety in 'Web Site Story'
By ERIK PIEPENBURG
July 10, 2009, 11:33 AM

CollegeHumor.com
The number "eHarmony," set to the tune of "America," from "Web Site Story," a parody of "West Side Story."

What if Tony and Maria had met on Facebook? If Anita Twittered, would she feel tweety? Those are some of the questions posed by "Web Site Story," a video parody of "West Side Story" that's making the virtual rounds.

The video was written and directed by Sam Reich, the president of original content for CollegeHumor.com (where other theater-related offerings include "Waterworld the Musical" and "Food Court Musical."). The music and dancing in the slickly produced piece mimic "West Side Story" almost note for note.

"I was a theater nerd with a love for Sondheim," said Mr. Reich, who as a teenager played Action from "West Side Story" as part of a high school musical review.

Instead of star-crossed romance on the streets of New York, Mr. Reich's version follows a group of people who love Web sites, including Hulu, Google Earth and Twitter.

Instead of a girl in "Maria," Tony sings about discovering the music site Pandora:

"Pandora, type it in and there's music playing
Watch the ads and it's almost like paying."

The number "Jet Song" goes global:

"When you're on the Net, on the Net you will stay
Cuz the whole Google Earth is just one click away."

And social networking gets a makeover to the tune of "I Feel Pretty"

"I'm on Facebook, I'm on Facebook
And my Facebook updates with my Tweets
So I Twitter, and then everybody knows my deets."

The piece was a collaborative effort, according to Mr. Reich. It was shot in Williamsburg, with exteriors filmed on the rooftop of an industrial building. The female cast members were all graduates of Marymount Manhattan College; most of the actors did their own singing. Carl Sondrol, a Chicago musician, used a computer and live musicians to record the score; Morgan Whirledge, an audio engineer, recorded and mixed the singing in New York.

And what about reaction from the creators of the original? A spokesman for the production of "West Side Story" now playing on Broadway said there would be no comment from Arthur Laurents, who wrote the show's book and directed the current revival.

Mr. Reich said Stephen Sondheim, the show's lyricist, read the script for "Web Site Story" and "liked it." But he refused to do a cameo.

"Our dream was to get him at the end watching the video on his computer screen and saying, 'I have to cancel my Google alert,'" said Mr. Reich.

Watch the entire "Web Site Story" video click here, or over image.