Nearly everyone has seen William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet performed in some capacity on stage, film, or television. But the play was also used as inspiration for hundreds of other creations in the form of scripts, novels or even musical compositions. One of the most famous of these inspired works is the musical West Side Story which was originally performed on Broadway in 1957, but gained popularity in film in 1961.

And this weekend, Grissom High School Theatre presents West Side Story, the Sondheim musical live on stage for your viewing pleasure. And you can win a pair of tickets to see the show on March 16th! Enter at the end of the post.

THE STORY

The story is set in an Upper West Side neighborhood in New York City in the 1950s. The musical starts with a demonstration of the the rivalry between the teenage gangs: the Jets and the Sharks.

The Sharks are from Puerto Rico, while the Jets are predominantly Polish-Americans. Tony, one of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, the sister to the leader of the Sharks. The story follows these two as they meet through the tragic aftermath of the rumble between the two gangs. Read more about West Side Story’s history here.

A Hate with No Beginning or End

Stephanie Bray-Beutjer – the show’s director – discusses the themes of the musical in her Letter From The Director which can be seen in it’s entirety in the program at each performance:

“The characters in this play carry a solid set of beliefs and opinions about the ‘other side.’ Neither side is willing to compromise or listen to the other.There is a line sung first by the Jets and then the Sharks: They began it’… ‘They began it.

“In reality no one knows who began it; it has just always been this way–each side accusing the other of starting the fight. Hate, rage, misunderstanding and death are part of their everyday lives.”

West Side Story at Grissom High’s Cast

The cast of the West Side Story at Grissom High School is led by Sarah Hunt as “Maria” and Will Haymond as “Tony”. These two are veterans of the stage having performed in past musicals with Grissom Fine Arts. Tate Butler as “Riff” and Isaac Ward as “Bernardo” lead the gangs – the Jets and the Sharks respectively.

These four represent only the tip of the iceberg in terms of talent and experience that this cast brings to a familiar story of star-crossed lovers. All done with the choreography and direction of the previously-mentioned Stephanie Braly-Beutjer.

Not only will the vocals astound you in such young stars, but the dancing and the action are enough to keep you on the edge of your seats during the entire performance. The story is not softened for a high school stage, as the gang violence is depicted with well-orchestrated fight scenes ending in tragedy.

But don’t be alarmed, there are also joyful and entertaining numbers! For example – the light-hearted “Gee, Officer Krupke” will leave you grinning even after the tragic events in an earlier scene.

West Side Story is modern take on a familiar story of star-crossed lovers. We at Grissom Theatre hope you will find time to enjoy our production.

Ticket Giveaway

Event Information

Dates and Times:

March 7th, 8th, and 9th at 7:30PM
March 14th, 15th, and 16th at 7:30PM
March 10th and 17th at 2PM

Location: Grissom High School Theatre
Address: 7901 Bailey Cove Rd SE Huntsville 35802
Cost: Adults $15, Students $10
Tickets: Purchase tickets in advance through the Grissom Theatre website. Tickets are also available at the door.

About the Author

Kim Holmes has been a parent in the Grissom Theatre department for four years. This is her fourth musical to be a part of, her second musical as parent producer. Kim is quite sad that “West Side Story” will be her last musical for awhile as her oldest graduates this year and her next child is only in the First Grade! In her free time, Kim writes about her mundane life at misszoot.com.

Photo credit: All photos are courtesy of Betcei Butler.