Look Out Canberra … the Jets and Sharks are Coming!
10 – 27 October
The producers of latest production of WEST SIDE STORY the – “No.1 Greatest musical of all time” – have announced that Canberra has been added to their upcoming Australian season, commencing in April in Melbourne.
Supported by the ACT Government through its Major Event Fund, this exciting announcement is indicative of the appetite for large scale musical theatre in Canberra.
ACT Chief Minister, Andrew Barr MLA, said, “Securing WEST SIDE STORY is a fantastic result for our city. The people of Canberra and the surrounding region love a good musical, as demonstrated by the outstanding success of previous productions, so it is really pleasing to see the nation’s capital increasingly recognised as a major player in the live touring circuit.”
Alex Budd from Opera Australia said, “We are thrilled to announce Canberra as the next city to have blockbuster production opening on 10 October – a time of year that couldn’t be better for Canberra with FLORIADE in full bloom and one the world’s most iconic musicals set to play Canberra Theatre Centre”.
This production of West Side Story will also play in Wellington, NZ, from 6 June and embark on a tour of Germany from 25 June 2019
A modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, WEST SIDE STORY is set in a New York City enveloped by bitter tension between two teenage gangs: the Jets, self-styled “Americans” [led by Riff], and the Sharks, a group of young Puerto Ricans [led by Bernardo] and remains as important and relevant today as it was when it was first created.
When the original Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY opened in 1957, musical theatre changed forever. The genius of its four creators, a remarkable collaboration between composer Leonard Bernstein, author Arthur Laurents, lyricist Stephen Sondheim and choreographer Jerome Robbins, produced a timeless masterpiece whose thrilling unity of music, dance, book and lyrics has been rarely matched since.
Joey McKneely is a two-time Tony Award-nominated choreographer whose Broadway credits include Smokey Joe’s Café, The Life, Twelfth Night, The Wild Party and The Boy From Oz. McKneely’s vibrant staging of WEST SIDE STORY has received world-wide acclaim since its premiere at London’s Sadler’s Wells.
The all Australian cast of 33 features a dynamic mix of established performers alongside some of Australia’s most exciting emerging talent in this celebrated production.
Todd Jacobsson as Tony; Sophie Salvesani as Maria; Chloe Zuel as Anita; Noah Mullins as Riff; Lyndon Watts as Bernardo; Ritchie Singer as Doc; Paul Dawber as Lt. Schrank; Dean Vince as Officer Krupke; and Paul Hanlon as Glad Hand.
The Jets: Joshua Taylor, Nicholas Collins, Christian Ambesi, Nathan Pavey, Blake Tuke, Sebastien Golenko, Molly Bugeja, Joseph Donovan with Natasha O’Hehir, Angelica Di Clemente, Taylah Small and Sarah Dimas.
The Sharks: Anthony Garcia, Keanu Gonzalez, Daniel Assetta, Matt Antonucci, Jason Yang-Westland, Brady Kitchingham, Daniel Wijngaarden with Zoe Ioannou, Olivia Carniato, Nikki Croker, Amba Fewster and Ariana Mazzeo.
More at www.westsidestory.com.au
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