Please note that performances of West Side Story have been cancelled through 3 January 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Performances will resume as early as is practical in 2021.
Visionary director Ivo van Hove lends his inimitable hand to
West Side Story, with exciting new choreography from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. This new staging marks the first major Broadway revival to depart from original director and choreographer Jerome Robbins’ iconic visuals.
Inspired by Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet,
West Side Story is set in New York’s Upper West Side during the 1950s and tells the story of young but fraught lovers Tony and Maria, who hail from vastly different ethnic and social communities. Now exemplary for its finger-snapping choreography, this upcoming revival is set to be a radical departure, and marks the Broadway debuts of over 20 cast members.
Shereen Pimentel and Isaac Powell are set to star as Maria and Tony. Pimentel made her Broadway debut at age nine in
The Lion King and is currently a third-year undergraduate at The Juilliard School. Powell’s credits include
Once on This Island at the Circle in the Square Theatre.
Other cast includes Amar Ramasar as Bernardo, Yesenia Ayala (
Carousel) as Anita, and Ben Cook (
Mean Girls on Broadway) as Riff.
Ivo van Hove was named Best Director of a Play at the 2016 Tony Awards for his revival of
A View from the Bridge, and his distinctive style has received widespread acclaim from Amsterdam (
Salome) to London (
All About Eve). Choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker was a key part of Rosas dance ensemble, which held residence at La Monnaie in Brussels between 1992 and 2007.
The pair work from a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
Taking a daring new approach to a well-loved musical,
West Side Story at the Broadway Theatre is sure to be a hot topic amongst New York theatergoers. It begins previews on December 10 2019, with an opening date set for February 6 2020.
Brilliant revival. Feels very fresh and current. Excellent choreography and dancing. The staging and direction were extremely impressive. Cast is top notch. Amazing chemistry between Tony and Maria. Not to be missed!