The 50th Anniversary of a musical landmark
The 50th Anniversary of a musical landmark
“This show is one of the towering achievements of musical theatre of the last century.
Makes your spine tingle and heart sing.” The Guardian July 2008
WEST SIDE STORY, one of the most successful stage shows of all time opens at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 21 – Saturday 2 May 2009.
Fifty years after the curtain rose on the European premiere of West Side Story in December 1958 at Manchester Opera House, prior to its London opening at Her Majesty’s Theatre, the original Broadway classic is being re-staged in the UK. Directed and choreographed afresh by Joey McKneely - former assistant to Jerome Robbins – West Side Story played for 6 sell-out weeks in London’s Sadler’s Wells last summer, following triumphant sell out seasons in Paris, Tokyo and Beijing.
Alongside the stage musical, and the 1961 film version, which won ten Academy Awards, the original creative team of West Side Story have gained legendary status. The groundbreaking choreography by Jerome Robbins, book by Arthur Laurents, and the unforgettable score by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, dealt with dark themes and marked a turning point in American musical theatre. Based on Romeo and Juliet and focusing on social issues, the extended dance scenes, and the unforgettable songs, including ‘Maria’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Somewhere’, ‘America’, and ‘I Feel Pretty’, have become part of public consciousness the world over.
“This is a show that truly has it all. Blazingly undiminished.”
Sunday Express July 2008
Set on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, West Side Story explores the rivalry between two teenage gangs; one white the other Puerto Rican. When Tony falls in love with Maria, the sister of the rival gang’s leader, the feud takes on a new dimension, and as their love blossoms so begins a fatal journey overshadowed by violence and hatred.
Joey McKneely has choreographed and directed extensively on Broadway and his credits include Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Hal Prince’s production of Whistle Down The Wind and Nicholas Hytner’s production of Twelfth Night. He staged and choreographed West Side Story at La Scala in Milan and has worked on many Hollywood movies. He choreographed The Boy From Oz, with Hugh Jackman in the leading role, before embarking on the direction and choreography for this production of West Side Story. He said: “I feel dance is everything to West Side Story. It has character, emotion, plot. If you removed the original choreography, I feel it would not be West Side Story. It is where the story developed from.”
This new version is the only modern day production which may call itself ‘The Original’ and is the only production currently licensed to tour internationally. Joey McKneely said: “The only ambitions I had for this production was for the audience to re-discover West Side Story again, as if for the first time. Plus, to bring it to a new generation who have never seen the production on stage.”
-ENDS-
13 February 09
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Mandy Rose 0121 1689 3069
Email: mandyrose@birminghamhippodrome.com
Images: http://tinyurl.com/crmft3
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