West Side Story

West Side Story [1] is an American musical with a book by Arthur Laurents [2], music by Leonard Bernstein [3], lyrics by Stephen Sondheim [4] and co-written by Bernstein, and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins [5]. The action is set in Manhattan's West Side/Hell's Kitchen in the mid-1950s. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.

First produced on Broadway in 1957, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. In 1961 Robert Wise’s film version [6] captured world attention.

Performance history in South Africa

1970: The first stage production in South Africa produced and choreographed by Kip Andrews for the Hymie Udwin's Academy Theatre at the Alexander Theatre. It starred Michael Harrison, Patricia Arnell, Lynton Burnes, Richard Loring, Delia Sainsbury, Keith Galloway, Graham Clarke and others while Anthony Farmer did the set design and Paul Jannsen was the stage director. It eventually moved to the Empire Theatre and then to Cape Town.

1995-6: A production by PACT and CAPAB was first performed at the Opera, State Theatre, Pretoria on 27 November 1995 and on 25 January 1996 at the Nico Opera House, Cape Town. Director and choreographer Alan Johnson, starring Robert Finlayson, Juanita Kruger with Joe Clark, Samantha Peo, Neville Thomas, Dale Cutts and a host of SA's top performers. Scenic designer: Anthony Farmer. Presented by the Playhouse Company in association with PACT Opera and CAPAB in 1996.

2013: The Playhouse Company in the Opera Theatre, Durban, from 22 November to 29 December, directed by Ralph Lawson,

2015: Produced by Eric Abraham and the Fugard Theatre at ArtsCape in July and August, directed by Matthew Wild, with musical direction by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder and choreography by Louisa Talbot, a full cast of 40 and accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. The leading cast members included Jonathan Roxmouth, Lynelle Kenned, Bianca le Grange, Christopher Jaftha, and Daniel Buys.

Sources

West Side Story theatre programme, 1970/1971.

PACT Opera theatre programme, 1995.

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