An unforgettable coming-of-age story returns to Broadway. Set in New York City, “West Side Story” captured hearts from its 1957 premiere, soaring in popularity through its film adaptation and international productions. Performances at the Broadway Theatre begin December 10, 2019. Even if you are new to musicals, you’ve likely heard the title. Below, we explore the show’s history and social context, and take a closer look at the two leads selected for the 2019 production.
West Side Story first premiered in 1957
West Side Story ran on Broadway for nearly two years at the Winter Garden Theatre (from September 26, 1957 to June 27, 1959), where “Beetlejuice” plays today.Addressing themes of poverty and discrimination in mid century New York, it made a profound impact and is considered a landmark of Broadway musical theatre alongside “Show Boat” and “Oklahoma!”.
Composed by the world renowned conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein, the score is complex, passionate, and rhythmically vibrant, perfectly shaping the show’s high energy world.Direction and choreography were by Jerome Robbins, a multiple Tony Award winner behind “The King and I” (1951), “West Side Story” (1957), and “Fiddler on the Roof” (1964). His signature, striking choreography for West Side Story has continued to influence both the film and later revivals.
The 2009 Broadway revival
After its celebrated original run, London productions, and an Oscar winning film adaptation, the show returned to Broadway for the first time in fifty years. The revival played the Palace Theatre from February 23, 2009 to January 2, 2011, nearly two years. Retaining the classic choreography and music while using then modern stage technology, the production drew major attention and received multiple 2009 Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.
What makes the 2019 West Side Story special
Director and choreography for the 2019 revival
The production is directed by Belgian theatre artist Ivo van Hove, an acclaimed auteur whose work has won international recognition. His Paris staging of Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” brought him global attention in 2014.
That production went on to win the Olivier Award for Best Director and later transferred to Broadway (marking van Hove’s Broadway debut), where it earned five Tony nominations in 2016 and won two awards, including Best Revival of a Play and Best Direction of a Play.
That same season, van Hove also directed Miller’s “The Crucible” on Broadway, which received four Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Play and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play. Known for reimagining classics with bold style, van Hove’s approach has raised expectations for this West Side Story.
Casting rising young talent
Tony: Isaac PowellBorn in North Carolina, Powell works as an actor, model, and singer. He drew wide notice playing Daniel in the 2017 Broadway revival of “Once On This Island,” which went on to win the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
Maria: Shereen PimentelA New Jersey native, Pimentel made early Broadway appearances beginning at age nine in “The Lion King” and has steadily built a reputation as a formidable stage performer.
Where exactly is the “West Side”?
Although the show is sometimes known as “West Side Story” in translation, what does “West Side” actually refer to?The setting is Manhattan, New York City. Central Park serves as a reference point: the east side of the park is the East Side, and the west side is the West Side. Today, the Upper West Side is a quiet, upscale residential area, but in the 1940s, when the story was conceived, the neighborhood looked very different.
In the 1940s and 1950s, many immigrants lived on the West Side. Street gangs and restless youth were part of daily life, and incidents rooted in prejudice and poverty were common. As the immigrant population grew, tensions between groups often rose, much like the clashes between the Jets (a white gang) and the Sharks (a Puerto Rican gang) depicted in the story.Today, public safety has improved dramatically. This revival is slated to play in the heart of Times Square, where theatergoers can comfortably walk after evening performances and then compare the neighborhood’s modern feel with the world portrayed in the musical.
Lincoln Center, one of the 1961 film’s key locations, is now home to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, and other major arts institutions with performances daily.From the Broadway Theatre, you can stroll straight up Broadway for about thirty minutes to reach the Lincoln Center campus, a perfect walk after revisiting the film or the day after seeing the musical.
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