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50th Anniversary West Side Story Hits London in JulyDate: 21 December 2007
Fifty years after it made its UK debut, Broadway classic West Side Story will return to the London stage next summer, running at Sadler’s Wells for a limited season from 22 July to 31 August 2008.
In the gangland New York reworking of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Tony, founder of the native Jets, falls in love with Maria, sister of the Puerto Rican Sharks' leader. The two young lovers are swiftly caught up in a vicious battle between the opposing sides. The musical features a now-classic score with songs such as "America", "Somewhere", "Officer Krupke", "I Feel Pretty", "Tonight" and "Maria".
West Side Story has a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. This 50th anniversary revival – directed by Joey McKneely and conducted by Donald Chan - is based on the original direction and choreography of Jerome Robbins from the 1957 Broadway premiere.
The musical was also famously made into a 1961 film, which starred Natalie Wood and won ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The stage version was revived in the West End in 1998/99, running first at the Prince Edward Theatre before transferring to the Prince of Wales.
This production opened last month at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris and also visits Tokyo and Beijing prior to its London dates.
- by Terri Paddock
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