West Side Story has returned to Broadway as it began preview performances, Monday, February 23, 2009, in a new production directed by its two-time Tony Award winning librettist Arthur Laurents. Laurents and other members of the creative team spoke to Variety about how the show has been shaped anew for a waiting generation of theatre lovers. To read the feature on the musical theatre classic in Variety, click here.
West Side Story will open at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway) on Thursday, March 19, 2009. The original Jerome Robbins choreography will be restaged by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).
Two hours prior to each performance of West Side Story at the Palace Theatre, patrons will be invited to enter a lottery drawing for a limited number of $26.50 tickets to that day's performance. Names will be drawn at random 2 hours prior to curtain. There will be a limit of two tickets per person and tickets may be purchased using cash only. The lottery seats will be in the first row of the orchestra section. Winners must be present with valid identification at the time of the drawing to purchase their tickets.
The cast of 46 stars Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as "Tony," Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as "Anita," Cody Green (Movin' Out) as "Riff" and George Akram (The Farrelly's Stuck on You) as "Bernardo." The role of "Maria" is be played by Broadway newcomer Josefina Scaglione. The 21 year old actress comes directly, by special arrangement with Actors' Equity Association, from Buenos Aires after an exhaustive international search for the role. West Side Story also features Steve Bassett as "Lt. Schrank," Mike Cannon as "Snowboy," Kyle Coffman as "A-Rab," Joey Haro as "Chino," Eric Hatch as "Big Deal," Curtis Holbrook as "Action," Michael Mastro as "Glad Hand," Lee Sellars as "Krupke," Tro Shaw as "Anybodys," Ryan Steele as "Baby John" and Greg Vinkler as "Doc" along with Nicholas Barasch, Kyle Brenn, Joshua Buscher, Isaac Calpito, Haley Carlucci, Peter Chursin, Madeline Cintron, Lindsay Dunn, Yurel Echezarreta, John Arthur Greene, Manuel Herrera, Matthew Hydzik, Marina Lazzaretto, Chase Madigan, Yanira Marin, Mileyka Mateo, Kaitlin Mesh, Angelina Mullins, Kat Nejat, Christian Elán Ortiz, Pamela Otterson, Danielle Polanco, Sam Rogers, Michael Rosen, Amy Ryerson, Jennifer Sanchez, Manuel Santos, Michaeljon Slinger, Tanairi Sade Vazquez and Mark Zimmerman. 
