Cecilia Bartoli as Present-Day Maria Looking Back in Salzburg WEST SIDE STORY; Karen Olivo as Anita

Despite its characters and stories, the culture of opera is focused primarily on the voice rather than on the drama. The artists who appear on stage are referred to as singers, not actors, so it's not uncommon to see a much older star playing a young romantic lead.

It doesn't quite work that way in musical theatre, so when an international opera star like Cecilia Bartoli wants to fulfill her dream of singing the role of Maria in WEST SIDE STORY, adjustments are likely to be made.

Since 2012, Bartoli has serves as artistic director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival, an extension of the Salzburg Festival that mounts performances during Whitsun (Pentecost) weekend. While opera is the festival's traditional music of choice, this past Friday evening, May 13th, Bartoli starred in a new production of Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' 1957 classic WEST SIDE STORY, with a staging by director Philip Wm. McKinley that allowed the mezzo-soprano to oversee the action as a present-day Maria.

While Michelle Veintimilla, who was seen last season on Broadway dancing with Chita Rivera as her character's younger self in THE VISIT, acted, danced and sometimes sang the role, Bartoli's Maria, as reported by reviews, would observe the action and take over for dramatic ballads, such as "Tonight" and "Somewhere."

Another notable cast member was Karen Olivo playing Anita, the role for which she won the 2009 Best Featured Actress Tony Award. Olivo will be returning to in August, when the production plays a sold-out run for the Salzburg Festival.

After making her Broadway debut as a replacement in RENT, and originating roles in BROOKLYN and IN THE HEIGHTS, Olivo decided to leave New York theatre after her Broadway WEST SIDE STORY run, returning briefly in 2014 to star in the Encores! Off-Center production of Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK... BOOM!

On her Twitter page she expressed satisfaction with her most recent return to the stage.

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