WEST SIDE STORY opens at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

by Gazette Reporter 15/06/2023

written by Gazette Reporter 15/06/2023 0 comment

‘Familiar names and faces including director Lonny Price walked the red carpet for the opening night of an exciting new international production of the iconic, genre-defining musical WEST SIDE STORY at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Tuesday evening.

Spotted taking to the red carpet were Joanne McNally, John McColgan , Martin King and his wife Jenny McCarthy, Ian Dempsey and his wife Ger, Brendan Courtney and Adam Maryniak , Sonya Lennon Ruth Charles as well as Deric Hartigan and Tracy Clifford

A talented international creative team has been assembled around the renowned Broadway director and actor Lonny Price whoopened the next chapter in the classic musical’s epic success story.

WESTSIDE STORY, DUESBURG, 2022, Credit: Johan Persson

Director Lonny Price not only shared a close bond with Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim; he has been inspired by the magic of this masterpiece since early childhood. Now the Broadway luminary, who shaped American theatre and film for more than 40 years (including directing Sweeney Todd with Emma Thompson, Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close, and the TV series Desperate Housewives, as well as playing the role of Neil Kellerman in the cult classic Dirty Dancing), brings a fresh perspective to the classic musical: “I want the next generation of theatregoers to fall in love with this piece, identify with the characters on stage and realise that there is so much more that unites rather than divides us – despite our cultural differences.”

With its 1957 Broadway premiere, Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim redefined an entire genre, both musically and in terms of dance. Today, West Side Story stands unchallenged as the No. 1 of American musicals – daring, realistic, and as relevant as on the day of its premiere.

This touring production – the only one to feature Jerome Robbins’ original choreography – has been delighting audiences all over the world since 2003. It has been seen by more than three million people in 28 countries on three continents, including at the Sydney Opera House, Dubai Opera, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and London’s Sadler’s Wells.