The 5th Avenue Produces Once-in-A-Lifetime
50th Anniversary West Side Story
Featuring Spectrum Dance Theater’s Company
Performing the Original Choreography
Performances: May 26 – June 17, 2007
Opening/Press Night: May 31, 2007 8:00 pm
SEATTLE – This year marks the 50th anniversary of WEST SIDE STORY, and The 5th Avenue Theatre pays homage to this iconic American musical by producing a “once-in-a-lifetime” fully-realized version featuring a full 25-piece orchestra and an enormous cast of 43 actors, singers and dancers. The 5th Avenue is collaborating with Seattle’s acclaimed Spectrum Dance Theater and re-creating the original Jerome Robbins choreography seen in the 1957 Broadway production and the Academy Award-winning 1961 movie.
“This might be the only time in your life that you’ll see a production of WEST SIDE STORY with the original choreography, a full orchestra playing the full score, and a cast of more than 40 performers,” notes director Bill Berry. “To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this classic show, we are committed to producing a fully-realized version – as its creators originally intended.”
WEST SIDE STORY was created by four legends of the theater, with a score by Leonard Bernstein (Wonderful Town, Candide, On the Town), book by Arthur Laurents (Gypsy), lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd, Company, Into the Woods), and choreography by Jerome Robbins (Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, The King and I). For the first time in Broadway history, dance – Jerome Robbins’ electrifying, seamless blend of the classical and the street-smart – stood on an equal basis with Leonard Bernstein’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics.
For this 50th anniversary production, The 5th Avenue brings choreographer Bob Richard on board to re-create Robbins’ landmark choreography. Richard is the ideal artist for the job, having danced in many productions of WEST SIDE STORY, including the last that Robbins himself oversaw before his death in 1998.
“Jerome Robbins’ choreography is key to the storytelling of WEST SIDE STORY,” says choreographer Bob Richard. “We’d no sooner replace the lyrics than change the choreography.”
Seattle’s acclaimed Spectrum Dance Theater helps bring this legendary choreography to life on The 5th Avenue stage – Spectrum’s dancers portray Jets and Sharks, including Lara Seefeldt as Jet tomboy Anybodys. Founded in 1982, Spectrum is the Northwest’s largest contemporary dance company and The Moore Theatre’s Resident Dance Company since 2005. After Spectrum’s successful productions of the ballets Petroushka and Miraculous Mandarin last fall, Artistic Director Donald Byrd is eager to expose his dancers to theater and give them professional experience in a musical.
“WEST SIDE STORY may be our dancers’ only chance to try Jerome Robbins’ Broadway choreography,” Spectrum Artistic Director Donald Byrd says. “Robbins was probably the greatest American-born choreographer, and he made his Broadway choreography a storytelling tool that no one else has matched.”
5th Avenue Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong adds, “I am always looking for ways to collaborate with other Seattle arts organizations. This is the perfect opportunity to add nine magnificent Seattle-based dancers to our stellar cast drawn from New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.”
A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, WEST SIDE STORY maps the collision course of two feuding New York City street gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – and the young lovers caught in the crossfire. Winner of two Tony Awards and 10 Academy Awards, WEST SIDE STORY is an American theater masterpiece, with explosive dancing and some of the most electrifying music ever written for the Broadway stage, including “Maria,” “Tonight” and “Somewhere.”
“Leonard Bernstein’s score for WEST SIDE STORY is unlike any other Broadway score,” says musical director Ian Eisendrath. “Bernstein seamlessly incorporates sophisticated 20th century symphonic music with cutting edge Bebop, Latin, Blues, Operetta and Broadway. We’re thrilled to present this material with a full 25-piece orchestra made up of Seattle’s finest musicians.”
With a revolutionary score, groundbreaking choreography, and book and lyrics that addressed racial issues, youth violence, and immigration, WEST SIDE STORY shocked audiences when it premiered on Broadway in 1957, driving dozens of people to walk out each night. Fifty years later, WEST SIDE STORY is thought of as a quintessential American musical, one of the best-loved and most frequently produced shows in history, and its themes are as fresh and relevant today as half a century ago.
The cast of 43 includes Louis Hobson (Miss Saigon, Hair, Pippin) as Tony, Maegan McConnell as Maria, Michael D. Jablonski as Riff, leader of the Jet gang, Miguel A. Romero as Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, Manoly Farrell as Anita, and Seán Griffin (My Fair Lady) as Doc. Other cast members include Mo Brady, Gabe Corey, Casey Craig, Daniel Cruz, Bojohn Diciple, Jim Gall, Allen Galli, Richard Isaac, Chad Jennings, Jason Kappus, Roderick Kennedy, Rickey Klein, Jeremy Leiner, Jeremy Lucas, Lauralyn McClelland, Trina Mills, Naomi Morgan, Kat Nejat, Maya RS Perkins, Alana Peters, Michael Ramey, Angel Reed, John Scott, Mark Shunkey, Pamela Turpen, Troy Wageman, Jared Wootan and Kari Zander, and Spectrum Dance Theater’s David Alewine, Kelly Ann Barton, Ty Cheng, Natalie Dahlstrom, Peter de Grasse, Allison Keppel, Hannah Lagerway, Lara Seefeldt and Danielle Wilkins.
WEST SIDE STORY is directed by The 5th Avenue’s Associate Artistic Director, Bill Berry (Wonderful Town, The Wizard of Oz, Smokey Joe’s Cafe) and choreographed by Bob Richard (B’way: How The Grinch Stole Christmas). The conductor/musical director is Ian Eisendrath (Company, Sweeney Todd). The set design is by Martin Christoffel and lighting design by Tom Sturge. Jeremy J. Lee is the sound designer, Lynda Salsbury is the costume designer, and Mary Pyanowski is the hair/make-up designer. Erica Schwartz is the production stage manager.
BILL BERRY (Director) is the Associate Artistic Director and resident Casting Director for The 5th Avenue Theatre, as well as the Producing Director for The 5th Avenue’s Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company (AMT), which develops and tours original musicals to schools throughout Washington state. For The 5th Avenue, he directed last season’s madcap romp Wonderful Town, the previous season’s high octane Smokey Joe’s Café and the 2004 holiday hit The Wizard of Oz, and was the Associate Director for The Rocky Horror Show. Other directing credits include: Songs For a New World (Raggedy Z Productions, NW Premiere), Godspell (in concert as a benefit for BCEFA), Reading Rainbow and A Christmas Carol (Theatreworks/USA). For The 5th Avenue’s AMT, he wrote KLONDIKE! The Great Alaskan Gold Rush, directed and co-wrote Journey West!, and directed Northwest Bookshelf and Baseball Saved Us.
BOB RICHARD (Choreographer) performed in the AEA 40th Anniversary international tour of West Side Story, the last production that Jerome Robbins oversaw before he died in 1998. Bob staged last holiday season’s Broadway hit, Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas. His choreography was seen last fall on The Tonight Show, The Today Show and in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Bob is the resident choreographer for Sacramento Music Circus, choreographing 20 shows over the past nine years, including the new Footloose revival and this year’s 10th anniversary production of Frank Wildhorn’s Jekyll and Hyde. Bob is the master instructor for the California Musical Theatre’s Outreach and Education program, and a guest instructor at Broadway Dance Center and STEPS in New York City. In 2004 Bob was chosen to present his work in New York as part of SDCF’s Dancebreak.
IAN EISENDRATH (Musical Director) is the Resident Musical Director at The 5th Avenue. Past 5th Avenue productions include: Company, Sweeney Todd and Miss Saigon. Other Seattle credits include The Nutcracker at PNB and The Secret Garden at the Village. Credits outside of Seattle include The Producers, Titanic, Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, Annie, and several new musicals for the Ann Arbor Festival of New Works.
Tickets to WEST SIDE STORY are priced from $20 to $75. Tickets are available over the phone by calling 206-625-1900 (toll free 888-5TH-4TIX), online at www.5thavenue.org or in person at the box office in downtown Seattle. There is no service charge when purchasing tickets in person at The 5th Avenue Theatre Box Office.
The 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle’s premier musical theater. In 1980, the non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre began producing and presenting top-quality live musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the Northwest community. The 5th Avenue Theatre maintains a subscription audience of 24,000 and an annual attendance of more than 225,000. It ranks among the nation’s largest and most respected musical theater companies. The Theatre is committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its Educational Outreach Program which includes: The Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, The 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Student Matinee Program and Spotlight Nights. Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, the exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Marilynn Sheldon and Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong, The 5th Avenue Theatre continues to achieve the highest standards in all aspects of artistic endeavors and facility operations, while preserving its artistic, architectural and historic legacy. Visit www.5thavenue.org.
Please contact Molly Fortin, Public Relations Manager, at (206) 625-1418 with questions or to schedule individual interviews. Photos available upon request.
WEST SIDE STORY SHOWTIMES
Tuesday Evening 7:30 pm
Wednesday Evening 7:30 pm
Thursday Evening 8:00 pm
Friday Evening 8:00 pm
Saturday Matinee 2:00 pm
Saturday Evening 8:00 pm
Sunday Matinee 1:30 pm
Sunday Evening 7:00 pm
2006-2007 SEASON SPONSOR: Audi Dealers of the Puget Sound Area
SHOW SPONSORS: Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Merrill Corporation, Starbucks Foundation, National Endowment For the Arts