Review of the Musical West Side Story
A boy. A girl. Two rival gangs. One fatal love affair. Inspired by Shakespeare’s tumultuous love story Romeo and Juliet, and set amidst the vicious rivalry of teenage gangs in 1950s New York, WEST SIDE STORY’s ground-breaking choreography by the legendary Jerome Robbins, unforgettable score by Leonard Bernstein and powerful lyrics by Stephen Sondheim changed the face of musical theatre for ever when it burst onto the Broadway stage in 1957. This timeless story remains as relevant today as it has ever been.
This vibrant new production of the classic dance musical, is receiving wild acclaim during sold-out seasons around the world, including London, Tokyo and Sydney. Joey McKneely’s award-winning staging of WEST SIDE STORY, the only production in the world to currently feature Jerome Robbins’ original choreography, will tour to Hong Kong, Singapore and Manila during 2017.
The international tour of WEST SIDE STORY coming to Singapore boasts an all-American cast – many of whom come direct from Broadway – and one of the best WEST SIDE STORY creative teams the world has ever seen. The cast captivated audiences with their impassioned high-energy dance routines and their astounding vocal range in such classic songs as Maria, Tonight, Somewhere, America and I Feel Pretty. The musical supervisor is renowned conductor Donald Chan, who studied under Leonard Bernstein himself, and who leads a live orchestra of 21 musicians.
Presenter and CEO of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, James Cundall says, “WEST SIDE STORY is one of the world’s greatest musicals for a reason, and no one ever forgets their first time seeing this iconic show. I am hugely excited to be able to bring this passionate love story — one of the most successful stage shows of all time — back to Singapore. It’s a truly remarkable show with a level of intensity unmatched in musical theatre.”
Chantal Prudhomme, CEO of Base Entertainment Asia added, “It’s a great mix of dance, music, song and story, and we are extremely proud to have 70 new, young and energetic people in our team of cast and company to deliver the modern love story of ‘Romeo & Juliet’.”
ABOUT THE SHOW:
The action takes place over no more than a few hours of two consecutive days and portrays a love story, action thriller and social study all at the same time. WEST SIDE STORY tells the tale of a love between two young people whose happiness is destroyed by the hate of two enemy camps in New York City’s urban jungle.
In a sweltering New York summer, the boys from the Upper West Side neighbourhood are on the prowl. Ready to explode at any moment they dance with their girls, the air vibrating with the rhythms of mambo, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz. They belong to two enemy street gangs ruling the immigrant quarter – the Jets and the Sharks – and a clash is imminent. The Jets, sons of previous immigrants to America, are fighting the new arrivals from Puerto Rico, the Sharks, for domination of the streets in the area. Among them, Tony, a Jet, and Maria, sister to the leader of the Sharks, fall in love.
WEST SIDE STORY has been produced three times on Broadway, twice in London’s West End, and enjoyed numerous US, UK and international tours over the last 60 years. The movie version, released in 1961, went on to win an incredible 10 Oscars (including Best Picture) and further cemented the reputation of this undoubted masterpiece.
Don’t miss your chance to see this celebrated production of the greatest Broadway musical of all time.
Get your tickets from the following:
Show Name: WEST SIDE STORY
Season: From 13 September 2017
Venue: Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands
Cast: US Cast
PERFORMANCE TIMES:
Tuesday to Friday: 8pm
Saturday: 2pm & 8pm
Sunday: 1pm & 6pm
TICKET PRICE:
From S$55
* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$4 per ticket
BOOKINGS:
INTERNET: www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing or www.sistic.com.sg
PHONE: +65 6688 8826
IN PERSON AT:
Marina Bay Sands Box Offices (Museum, Theatres, SkyPark, Retail Mall and Hotel Tower 1 Lobby).
For more information please log onto – www.MarinaBaySands.com
