After years on Broadway, the famous musical show West Side Story is heading out to concert venues across the country. The play which was originally inspired by the story of Romeo and Juliet, is set in the West 50s and West 60s of the Upper West Side neighborhood in New York. The play, which unfolds in the 1950’s is set in a blue-collar neighborhood that has two teen gang rivals; the Jets and the Sharks.
The story not only explores the conflict of the two groups, but racial issues at the time as the Sharks gang are a group from Puerto Rico while the Jets are all white. Amidst the conflict, one of the Jets, Tony, falls in love with the sister of the Sharks; Maria. As the story of the star-crossed lovers unfolds, the tale is accompanied by memorable original musical numbers and high-energy dance scenes that first made the play famous.
The production has won several Tony awards and held 732 performances on Broadway before going on tour. Audiences can now experience the classic tale of West Side Story in their home town as the musical has been entirely revamped with new, more elaborate sets and costumes and some of the most acclaimed actors in the business. Audiences from around the country will get to see the same jaw-dropping performances of songs like “Maria”, “Somewhere” “I Feel Pretty”, “Gee, Office Krupke” and “One Hand, One Heart” up close and personal on this live tour.
This classic tale of love and loss had been told time and time again and the music and story of Maria and Tony and their struggle to keep their love alive during the many social issues of their time, is one that has stuck with audiences for years. Fans of the original classic tale, or the 1961 Academy Award winning film will love seeing this cherished tale retold on the stage, while new fans of the story will love seeing it for the first time. With a powerful story of love and overcoming obstacles, this musical not only puts a lens up to society in the mid-1950’s, but holds and inspirational message that audiences have been loving for years.
