Interview: Director Allegra Libonati of WEST SIDE STORY at Ohio Theatre

As the director of WEST SIDE STORY,  which runs Feb. 13-16 at the Ohio Theatre, Allegra Libonati came into Columbus with, as Liam Neeson’s character Bryan Mills said in the movie TAKEN, “ a very particular set of skills, skills (she has) acquired over a very long career."

Among the roles Libonati lists on her impressive resume are:

*being the associate director of the Tony Award-Winning Broadway revival of HAIR;

* directing many Shakespearean productions, including ones in the Boston Common for the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, and The Old Globe in San Diego;

* serving as the immersive director of Usher’s Las Vegas Residency concert Preshow Backstory Experience;

*directing PETER PAN’S NEVERLAND, an immersive experience performed in a 50,000 sq foot warehouse in Beijing.

However, Libonati’s background with circuses may have been the most helpful with this WEST SIDE STORY production. She has been organizing a four-ring event with members of the Columbus Symphony, BalletMet, Opera Columbus, and Columbus Association of the Performing Arts to present the highly anticipated WEST SIDE STORY. All four performances at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State Street in downtown Columbus) are close to being sold out.

Libonati married into the circus when she wed Brett Alters, a clown she met during the musical CLOWNTOWN. She has worked with the Circus Flora in St. Louis and Cirque du Soleil among a handful of circus-themed productions.

The director chuckled when asked to compare this production of WEST SIDE STORY to a show under the Big Top.

“That’s an interesting analogy,” Libonati said. “I’d say this is like a circus in terms of all the expertise in the room which have their own set of needs to do the best job they can.

“Circuses in general are very family-based and they are all working towards a common theme. With this production, we're bringing together the world of opera, ballet, and symphony to tell a musical theater piece.”

Created by Jerome Robbins, WEST SIDE STORY merges together the music of Leonard Bernstein, the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim and the book of Arthur Laurents in a glorious retelling of ROMEO AND JULIET set in 1950s New York. Instead of the Capulets and Montagues in Verona, the story pits the Sharks against the Jets in a battle for control of the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Tony (played by Jadon Webster), a former member of the Jets, falls hard for Maria (Cecilia Violetta López), the sister of the Sharks leader Bernardo (Isaac Tobler).

The musical has been a stable of the theater world since its debut in 1957 and earned six Tony nominations. It won only two, Best Choreography and Best Scenic Design.

Since then, the show has had four revivals on Broadway, has been made into two big budget movies, and had countless productions around the world.

This production will have its own unique spin on the story with four different companies pouring into the mix.

Libonati and Columbus Symphony Orchestra musical director Rossen Milanov will lead the charge as stage director and music director, respectively. Remi Wörtmeyer, BalletMet’s new artistic director, will choreograph the production. Columbus Opera’s Brandon McKnight will be the performance’s CRANE Directing Fellow.

Libonati has spent the last five weeks in Columbus to keep everything coordinated.

"You have all these different acts that have all these very specific set of parameters. The game of it is to put them all together,” Libonati said. “You must be very attentive to the singers’ voices. We treat singers like athletes because their instrument is so refined and their performances are so vulnerable.

“The ballet has a completely different set of parameters of what its dancers need to succeed, down to spring floors, their shoes, and the room conditions.

“Then on top of that, you have the orchestra which has their unions and schedules.”

And yet, every one of the four groups seems to be thrilled with the results of the collaboration.

“WEST SIDE STORY is a classic,” Milanov said. “These types of projects make Columbus unique and exciting.”

“BalletMet is excited to be a part of this project with some of our favorite collaborators,” said Sue Porter, Executive Director, BalletMet. “We can’t wait to welcome our community to such an incredible experience.”

“Combining the creative talents of some of the city’s leading performing arts organizations to offer this quintessential piece of American art is something we’re all highly anticipating,” CAPA President & CEO Chad Whittington said.  

"We are absolutely thrilled to bring WEST SIDE STORY to life,” Julia Noulin-Mérat, General Director and CEO, Opera Columbus, said. “This timeless masterpiece not only showcases the incredible talent of our artists and technicians but also allows us to engage deeply with our vibrant community.”

One of the reasons Libonati has done well in coordinating all the groups because of her diverse background. She started out as a ballet dancer but became interested in directing in college. In addition to being a freelance director of operas, theater, and circus, she works in the fields of dance, masks, puppetry, music, and magic.

Her key to building such a large repertoire is simple.

“I never say no,” Libonati said. “I never stop learning.”

One might think that it might be challenging making a musical that debuted close to 70 years ago still seem relevant. Libonati believes the themes of WEST SIDE STORY are, unfortunately, just as relevant in 2025 as it was in 1957.

“I truly believe there’s a reason why we tell ourselves the same stories over and over again,” she said. “It’s because we haven’t learned the lesson of the story.

“It's a story of inclusion, of belonging, of acceptance. It deals of the seemingly impossibility of achieving that, and yet it presents the continued hope and need to work towards that.  
“That’s what is so brilliant about West Side Story. It doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties, but it leaves you with a sense of purpose and hope.”

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