In West Side Story at the National Theater, a bilingual production is hardly a language barrier.

In fact, the directorial choice of Arthur Laurents to set some of the dialogue and a number of the musical numbers performed by the Sharks (the Puerto Rican contingent of the two warring gangs) and their women in Spanish, is easily the most innovative and powerful aspect of this Broadway-bound production. The show is getting an early debut as its first home, the National, before heading to NYC, with the 90-year-old original author of the work at the helm.

The change adds a voyeuristic quality to West Side Story – moments between the actors seem more intimate, but unless you’re fluent in Spanish, you’re eavesdropping without complete understanding. It also adds a hefty dose of reality to a show that, after all, features pirouetting gang members. The emotional impact of the songs is foremost – “I Feel Pretty” (now “Siento Hermosa”) is chattering and boisterous, “And A Boy Like That/I Have a Love” swells through anger, determined love and acceptance. Those unfamiliar with the original lyrics, though, will miss some nuances in the latter – namely, how far Anita truly has to come to reach a place of understanding and empathy amidst her own loss.