Photo Flash: WEST SIDE STORY At Moonlight Stage

"West Side Story," one of the most iconic American musicals of all time, continues Moonlight Stage Productions 39th summer season with performances from August 14 - 31, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets, priced $17 - $57, are on sale now online at moonlightstage.com or by phone by calling VisTix at (760) 724-2110. Discounts are available for seniors, students, and military.

Original director and choreographer Jerome Robbins conceived the idea for "West Side Story" basing it on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." This revered musical tells the tragic love story of Tony and Maria as they seek "a somewhere" where their love can survive in the midst of chaos of two warring gangs who clash in a turf war on the gritty streets of New York City of the 1950s. This revolutionary musical changed the course of American musical theatre when it premiered on Broadway in 1957 with Leonard Bernstein's bold and Grammy-winning score, the soaring lyrics of Stephen Sondheim making his Broadway debut at age 25, and Jerome Robbins' milestone direction and breathtaking choreography. Arthur Laurents completed the artistic team as the show's Tony nominated author.

The Grammy-winning score includes "Something's Coming," "Maria," "America," "Somewhere," "Tonight," "I Feel Pretty," "Jet Song," and "Cool." Moonlight Stage Productions is dedicating its production of "West Side Story" to the memory of Harold "Hal" Prince, the original Broadway production's producer who passed away at age 91 on July 31, 2019. Prince stepped in to save the musical by securing funding after the original producer backed out fearing the show was "too dark" and would flop.