West Side Story - US Tour Creative Team

Leonard Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He took piano lessons as a boy and attended the Garrison and Boston Latin Schools. At Harvard University, he studied with Walter Piston, Edward Burlingame-Hill, and A. Tillman Merritt, among others. Before graduating in 1939, he made an unofficial conducting debut with his own incidental music to "The Birds," and directed and performed in Marc Blitzstein's "The Cradle Will Rock." Then at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, he studied piano with Isabella Vengerova, conducting with Fritz Reiner, and orchestration with Randall Thompson. In 1940, he studied at the ... read more Arthur Laurents was a renowned American playwright, screenwriter, and director who was born on July 14, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. He was a prominent figure in the entertainment industry for over six decades and was widely regarded as one of the most influential playwrights of his generation. Laurents began his career in the theater as an assistant to playwrights such as Robert E. Sherwood and Moss Hart. He made his Broadway debut as a playwright in 1945 with the play "Home of the Brave," which dealt with anti-Semitism in the military. The play was a critical and commercial success and ... read more JEROME ROBBINS (born 11 October 1918 in New York City) was the younger of two children of Harry Rabinowitz, who emigrated to America from Poland in 1904, and his wife Lena Rips. Rabinowitz was at first a shopkeeper with a delicatessen on the Upper East Side of Manhattan; in the 1920’s he moved the family to Jersey City and then to Weehawken, New Jersey, where he and a brother-in-law established the Comfort Corset Company. Young Jerome, who showed an early aptitude for music, dancing, and theatrics, attended schools in Weehawken and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1935. Intending ... read more Binkley's Broadway credits includeSummer: The Donna Summer Musical, Escape to Margaritaville, Come From Away (2017 Tony nomination), A Bronx Tale, Hamilton (2016 Tony winner/2018 Olivier winner), After Midnight (2014 Tony nomination), How to Succeed... (2011 Tony nomination), West Side Story (2009 Tony nomination), In the Heights (2008 Tony nomination), Jersey Boys (2006 Tony winner), Avenue Q, Parade, Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993 Tony nomination). He is also the Co-Founder/Resident Lighting Designer for Parsons Dance. 1993 Sir Laurence Olivier and Canadian Dora Awards for Kiss of the Spider Woman. 2006 and 2016 Henry Hewes Design Awards for Jersey Boys and ... read more Credits: Evita; Sugar Babies; Me and My Girl; The Goat (Tony Award); Movin’ Out (Tony Award); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Cyrano; Dirty Dancing; West Side Story; 9 to 5; The Addams Family; Merchant of Venice; Race; Promises, Promises; Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark; Priscilla Queen of the Desert; and Hello, Dolly! (Tony Award). ... read more Arthur Laurents was a renowned American playwright, screenwriter, and director who was born on July 14, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. He was a prominent figure in the entertainment industry for over six decades and was widely regarded as one of the most influential playwrights of his generation. Laurents began his career in the theater as an assistant to playwrights such as Robert E. Sherwood and Moss Hart. He made his Broadway debut as a playwright in 1945 with the play "Home of the Brave," which dealt with anti-Semitism in the military. The play was a critical and commercial success and ... read more Winner of three Tony Awards and London’s Olivier Award, producer Hal Luftig has worked on and Off-Broadway for the past 25 years. Broadway: Evita, Catch Me If You Can, Come Fly Away, West Side Story, All My Sons, Legally Blonde, The Times They Are A-Changin’, Whoopi, Movin’ Out, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Annie Get Your Gun, High Society, The Diary of Anne Frank, Play On!, The King and I, Moon Over Buffalo, Angels in America, Jelly’s Last Jam, Death and the Maiden, The Secret Garden. Hal has an M.F.A. from Columbia University/ ... read more Kevin McCollum has received the Tony Award for Best Musical for "In the Heights" (2008), "Avenue Q" (2004), and "Rent" (1996), which also won the Pulitzer Prize. He is currently represented on Broadway with the Olivier Award-winning "The Play That Goes Wrong." He produced "Something Rotten!" (Broadway, National Tour), "Hand to God" ( Broadway, West End), "Motown: The Musical" (Broadway, West End, and National Tour), "The Drowsy Chaperone" in 2006, which won five Tony Awards, Baz Luhrmann's production of "Puccini's La Boheme" in 2002, [title of show] in 2008, the touring and Broadway productions of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," the ... read more James L. Nederlander is President of the Nederlander Organization and son of James M. Nederlander (Chairman). He is the third generation of a family known for owning and operating theatres around the world as well as theatrical productions, cultural presentations and popular music attractions. Current productions include West Side Story, The Addams Family, Next to Normal and Race. Upcoming productions include a live show with magician David Blaine. ... read more JEROME ROBBINS (born 11 October 1918 in New York City) was the younger of two children of Harry Rabinowitz, who emigrated to America from Poland in 1904, and his wife Lena Rips. Rabinowitz was at first a shopkeeper with a delicatessen on the Upper East Side of Manhattan; in the 1920’s he moved the family to Jersey City and then to Weehawken, New Jersey, where he and a brother-in-law established the Comfort Corset Company. Young Jerome, who showed an early aptitude for music, dancing, and theatrics, attended schools in Weehawken and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1935. Intending ... read more Now in his 23rd season at George Street Playhouse, artistic director David Saint has directed thirty five mainstage productions, most recently American Son, Clever Little Lies, Outside Mulingar, Good People, Marlo Thomas and Keith Carradine in Arthur Laurents’ New Year’s Eve, Matthew Arkin in Donald Marguiles’ Sight Unseen, Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys, William Finn's landmark musical Falsettos, Joan Vail Thorne's The Things You Least Expect, the film noir musical Gunmetal Blues, Inspecting Carol, the world premiere of Arthur Laurents’ 2 Lives, The Last Five Years, Lend Me a Tenor and the world premiere of Charles Evered's Celadine starring Amy ... read more Broadway: Falsettos; American Psycho; The Visit; A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder; Sondheim on Sondheim; A Little Night Music; Gypsy (with Patti LuPone); Radio Golf; John Doyle's production of Sweeney Todd; Gem of the Ocean; Pacific Overtures; Assassins; Into the Woods; Topdog/Underdog; Dirty Blonde; Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk. He has composed scores for the Broadway productions of The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, and Dan Hurlin's Disfarmer (St. Ann's Warehouse). Awards: four Tony Award nominations, four Drama Desk Awards. ... read more David C. Woolard has designed costumes at most of the major theatres in America as well as productions all over the world. He has dressed many personalities including Jane Fonda, Betty Buckley, Liz Mikel, Quentin Tarantino and Billy Crystal among others. Broadway credits include BRONX BOMBERS, FIRST DATE, LYSISTRATA JONES, WEST SIDE STORY, Jane Fonda’s clothing for 33 VARIATIONS, DIVIDING THE ESTATE, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, RING OF FIRE, ALL SHOOK UP, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (2001 Tony Award nomination) VOICES IN THE DARK, THE WHO’S TOMMY (1993 Tony and Olivier Award nominations) BELLS ARE RINGING, MARLENE, WAIT UNTIL DARK, Horton Foote’s ... read more