WEST SIDE STORY Comes to OFC Creations Theatre Center

OFC Creations Theatre Center is in performances of West Side Story, performing now through October 27, 2024 as part of the Broadway in Brighton Series, performing ten years since the last time West Side Story was last seen in Rochester.

Joy Del Valle, who plays Maria, was an alternate for the role on a recent international tour of the show. (Maria's lover Tony, who tragically crosses the racial line, is played by Max Ruscio, a last-minute cast replacement - a recent college graduate new to Rochester theatre whom director Eric Johnson calls "a budding star.") This is Courtney Arango's fourth time playing Anita, and soon will be performing on Broadway in the new BOOP Musical in early 2025 directed by Jerry Mitchell.

From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the greatest love stories ever told. This Tony and Oscar Award winning musical has become a timeless classic and landmark musical for audiences across the globe.

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to the vibrant battleground of New York City's West Side in the 1950s as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the "American" Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time. Unforgettable musical numbers include 'Tonight,' 'Something's Coming,' 'America,' 'One Hand, One Heart,' and equally mesmerizing choreography to 'Mambo,' 'Cool,' and 'The Rumble.'

West Side Story changed the face of musical theatre forever when it debuted on the Great White Way in 1957, the lyrics "There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us..." couldn't resonate any louder than it does today.

West Side Story is the second show of OFC's 2024-2025 Broadway in Brighton Series with a focus on bringing beloved shows and stories of heroes of generations to the stage, many that are not typically performed in Rochester. These shows feature NYC, LA and performers from across the country performing in Rochester - many with Hollywood and Broadway credits.

The series includes: The Boy from Oz, a regional premiere; West Side Story, a timeless musical; The Prince of Egypt, an upstate NY and Rochester premiere- of which OFC is one of the first performing arts centers in the country to be granted permission to present this show; the classic musical Anything Goes; and Gypsy a golden age musical. Closing out the 2024-2025 season will be the hugely popular Jersey Boys, produced locally for the first time.

OFC Creations has been a fixture of the Rochester, NY performing arts scene since 2005. After opening the 260-seat OFC Creations Theatre Center in 2020, OFC has continued to expand with the largest educational theater program for young actors in New York State, opening an immersive theatrical restaurant and cabaret performance venue in 2022. The 2024-2025 season marks the second year of the Broadway in Brighton Series, a professional regional theater season guaranteeing theatrical excellence for audiences.

Single tickets for West Side Story and all of the season shows are now available and can be purchased online at ofccreations.com, by calling OFC's box office at 585-667-0954, and in person during all public hours at The Old Farm Café.

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