WEST SIDE STORY: new tickets released due to popular demand

Due to popular demand, new seats have been released for the "No.1 greatest musical of all time"
(Times, UK), WEST SIDE STORY, opening in Wellington in just three weeks.

Following rave reviews in Australia, the theatrical event of 2019 will burst on to Wellington Opera House’s stage on 6 June and will play for 10 days only. New seats have been released for selected shows during the season that must closed on 16 June. Tickets available from Ticketmaster. Check out www.westsidestory.com.au for more details.

'SEEING THIS MUSICAL IS TO WITNESS A SLICE OF POP CULTURE DANCE
AND MUSICAL THEATRE HISTORY' THEPLUSONES.COM

The Opera Australia, GWB Entertainment and BB Group production comes to Wellington ahead of its international tour of Germany and season at Sydney Opera House.

GWB Entertainment’s Torben Brookman said “Musicals like West Side Story only come along once in a lifetime. This piece transformed musical theatre around the world and is as relevant today as it was when first staged. It is a privilege to bring this internationally acclaimed production to Wellington audiences.”

WEST SIDE STORY will explode on to the Opera House stage with a feast of colour, hundreds of costumes, some of the greatest dance routines ever created and an unforgettable songbook including the ageless hits I Feel Pretty, Maria and Tonight.

As a theatrical event WEST SIDE STORY has dazzled since 1957 not just because of its artistic mastery but because of its universal message of tolerance. When written by geniuses Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins, musical theatre changed forever as the most complex and challenging unity of music, dance, book and lyrics was realised in a way which has been rarely matched since.

Orchestration will be played live by New Zealand’s own Orchestra Wellington under the direction of Maestro Donald Chan - the esteemed American musical supervisor - who has conducted more than 3000 performances of WEST SIDE STORY, more than any other conductor

The cast of 34 features a dynamic mix of international performers under the direction of famed Broadway choreographer, Joey McKneely -- 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.

The principal roles of star-crossed lovers Maria and Tony are played by opera star Sophie Salvesani and one of musical theatre’s newest leading men, Todd Jacobsson; a finalist for the 2018 Rob Guest Endowment Award.

In the role of the dynamic Anita is Chloe Zuel who joined the tour fresh from the Carole King musical Beautiful and having previously starred as Reno in Dusty. Playing her partner Bernardo, leader of The Sharks, is Lyndon Watts who’s most recently been touring with Disney’s Aladdin.

Stage veteran Dean Vince (Dirty Dancing, Priscilla Queen of the Desert the musical, King Kong) plays Officer Krupke; while his superior Lt Schrank is played Neighbours veteran Paul Dawber. Joining them is Ritchie Singer as Doc and Paul Hanlon as Glad Hand.

As “The Jets” the ensemble will include Joshua Taylor, Nicholas Collins, Christian Ambesi, Nathan Pavey, New Zealand’s own Blake Tuke, Sebastien Golenko, Molly Bugeja, Joseph Donovan with Natasha O’Hehir, Angelica Di Clemente, Taylah Small and Sarah Dimas.

Completing the cast as “The Sharks” will be Anthony Garcia, Keanu Gonzalez, Daniel Assetta, Matt Antonucci, much-loved Kiwi triple threat Jason Yang-Westland, Brady Kitchingham, Daniel Wijngaarden with Zoe Ioannou, Olivia Carniato, Nikki Croker, Amba Fewster and Ariana Mazzeo.

'LIGHTS UP THE STAGE WITH PASSION, DRAMA AND BRILLIANT ORCHESTRATIONS'
HERALD-SUN

A modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet; this tragic love story tells the tale of two young people whose happiness is destroyed by the hate of two enemy camps in New York City’s urban jungle. The ‘Jets’, sons of previous immigrants to America, battle the new arrivals from Puerto Rico, the ‘Sharks’, for domination of the streets.
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Quotes:
'INDESTRUCTIBLE ENTERTAINMENT' THE AGE

'YOU WILL LAUGH, YOU WILL CRY AND YOU WILL BE TAKEN ALONG THE INCOMPARABLE JOURNEY' THEATREPEOPLE.COM

'THIS PRODUCTION WILL BLOW YOUR MIND' BROADWAYWORLD.COM

'RUN, DON’T WALK (OR MAMBO, FOR THAT MATTER) TO SEE THIS SHOW' AUSSIETHEATRE.COM.AU

'THE TIMELESS MUSICAL AUSTRALIA NEEDS RIGHT NOW' E NEWS

'THE CHOREOGRAPHY IS LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN. IS ONE PRODUCTION YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS' THEAUREVIEW.COM.AU

WELLINGTON
The Opera House
6 - 16 June
Tickets: Ticketmaster

For more information, go to www.westsidestory.com.au

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