WEST SIDE STORY National Tour Gets Detroit Launch in October

A touring production of the smash hit Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY is set to tour North America beginning this fall. The tour will open at The Fisher Theatre in Detroit, MI in October 2010. Other cities will be announced soon.

The new Broadway cast album of WEST SIDE STORY won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album on January 31, 2010. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as "Something's Coming," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere."

Directed by its two-time Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents, WEST SIDE STORY features the original Jerome Robbins choreography restaged by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life). The new production began previews at the Palace Theatre on Broadway Monday, February 23, 2009, opened to critical acclaim breaking box office records at the Palace Theatre on Thursday, March 19, 2009, and recouped its $14 million investment after running only 30 weeks.

WEST SIDE STORY is written by three theatrical luminaries: two-time Tony Award winner Arthur Laurents (book) and multiple Tony and Grammy Award winners Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) in his Broadway debut.

The production features scenic designs by James Youmans (Gypsy), costumes by Tony Award nominee David C. Woolard (The Farnsworth Invention, The Who's Tommy), lighting by Tony Award-winner Howell Binkley (Gypsy, Jersey Boys), hair by Mark Adam Rampmeyer (The Farnsworth Invention) and sound design by Tony Award nominee Dan Moses Schreier (Gypsy, A Catered Affair).

WEST SIDE STORY is produced by Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, and Jeffrey Seller with Terry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Roy Furman / Jill Furman Willis, Freddy DeMann, Robyn Goodman / Walt Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller, The Weinstein Company and Broadway Across America.

Tickets for the Broadway production of WEST SIDE STORY at the Palace Theatre are on sale at www.tickemaster.com (212-307-4100) or at the Palace Theatre box office. WEST SIDE STORY plays Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday - Saturday at 8 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Broadway ticket prices are $121.50 - 46.50.

For more information, visit www.broadwaywestsidestory.com.