American actress and singer Rachel Zegler will return to London early next year for a concert residency at @sohoplace.
Tag Archives | West Side Story
National Theatre’s 2027 season includes new musical Glorious Madness and West Side Story revival
The world premiere of a new British musical featuring the music of Joan Armatrading and a major revival of West Side Story will be part of the National Theatre’s 2027 season
National Youth Music Theatre – West Side Story
West Side Story was performed by members of the National Youth Music Theatre at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A spectacular new take on West Side Story which would surely make its late creators proud.
Only two musicals make the Top 20 in Daily Mail’s 100 greatest classic films ever
Film musicals, notably Oscar winners My Fair Lady, Chicago and Cabaret, get the brush-off and only six make the Daily Mail’s top 100 greatest classic films ever list.
Théâtre du Châtelet celebrates amazing attendance figures for West Side Story
The enduring popularity of West Side Story, now well into its seventh decade, has hit new peaks with the just-ended ten-week run of the Bernstein-Sondheim-Robbins-Laurents musical at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
West Side Story – Theatre du Chatelet, Paris
West Side Story continues at Theatre du Châtelet, Paris until 31 December 2023. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Tributes are paid to Chris Peluso who has died aged 40
The international theatre world has been in mourning following the sudden death of Broadway and West End star Chris Peluso.
Brand-new podcast The Mayor of Musical Theatre – in association with Musical Theatre Review – releases its first episode
West End Legend and Mother Goose star Anna-Jane Casey shares backstage secrets from the Stephen Sondheim Old Friends memorial concert, reveals the musical score that most often gets stuck in her head and describes what it’s like to return to panto on new podcast, The Mayor of Musical Theatre.
London Palladium concert date for Ariana DeBose
Multi-award-winning actor, singer and dancer Ariana Debose will take to the stage of the London Palladium next spring.
Ariana DeBose is named Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story at the Oscars
Sixty years ago West Side Story swept the board at the Academy Awards, winning ten Oscars, a record number for a musical that still stands. But Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of the Bernstein-Sondheim-Laurents-Robbins masterpiece, nominated for seven this year, had to settle for just one on Sunday night. As expected, hot favourite Ariana DeBose took the […]
Oscars Preview: Will West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose walk away a winner?
The red carpet rolls out for Hollywood’s big night on Sunday when all will be revealed at the 94th Oscars and the good news for lovers of musicals is that the fat lady is ready to sing for West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose. She’s the hottest of favourites in the Best Supporting Actress category for […]
West Side Story wins two BAFTAs including Ariana DeBose for Best Supporting Actress
West Side Story – Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of the 1961 ten-Oscar winning musical – picked up two BAFTAs at London’s Royal Albert Hall with Ariana DeBose, as expected, taking the Best Supporting Actress gong for her thrillingly exuberant performance as Anita. But she lost out to No Time To Die actress Lashana Lynch for Rising […]
Hosts and performances revealed for 22nd WhatsOnStage Awards
West End star Jodie Prenger and Celebs Go Dating’s Tom Read Wilson will return to host the 22nd annual WhatsOnStage Awards at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 27 February 2022. The duo will be joined by star presenters Chris Bush, Graziano Di Prima, Omari Douglas, James Graham, David Harewood, Frances Mayli McCann, Stephanie McKeon, […]
Oscar nominations for West Side Story and tick, tick… Boom!
Seven Oscar nominations for Steven Spielberg’s re-imagining of West Side Story, the show that changed the face of musical theatre in the late 1950s and became a record-breaking movie in 1962. And two for tick, tick… Boom! whose star, Andrew Garfield, is one of the favourites for the Best Actor gong. That was the news […]
Musical theatre lovers are baffled by the BAFTA nominations
Musical theatre lovers are baffled and shocked by the BAFTA nominations just announced – West Side Story (tipped as a close third favourite to win the Oscar) has been ignored in the Best Picture category, while the movie’s director Steven Spielberg and star Rachel Zegler have missed out on Best Director and Best Actress nominations. […]
Trio of Golden Globe Awards for Spielberg’s West Side Story
Stephen Spielberg’s re-working of Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise’s classic West Side Story was named Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) at the weekend’s Golden Globe Awards. Recently released in cinemas, the musical was one of the big winners at the low-key, not so glittering event winning a trio of awards including a Best Actress award […]
Exclusive! Rita Moreno is in line for an Oscars West Side Story double
Sixty years after winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Anita in West Side Story, 90-year-old Rita Moreno has the chance to pull off a unique Oscars double in Steven Spielberg’s electrifying remake of the 1961 movie classic. With nominations for the Oscars due to be announced on 8 February 2022, Moreno is quoted at […]
Film Review: Rita Moreno – Just a Girl Who Decided To Go For It
The Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno has had a career lasting over 70 years. For a long time in Hollywood she was stereotypically cast in roles she considered beneath her dignity, as native girls, maids, western molls and, generally speaking, women with no character, but just present as eye candy for the […]
Remembering Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021), The Ultimate Musical Man of Broadway
Stephen Sondheim rewrote the history of the Broadway musical in a career lasting over 60 years. Michael Darvell looks back, show by show, at the genius that was Stephen Sondheim. It is an unquestionable fact that Stephen Sondheim was responsible for taking the rather moribund genre of the Broadway musical and breathing new life into […]
Film Review: West Side Story
West Side Story opens nationwide on 10 December 2021. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Steven Spielberg’s much-anticipated – and, in some quarters, much dreaded – movie of West Side Story has finally reached cinemas. It’s the film I’ve been eagerly waiting for since about 1984: a full-blown musical by one of the […]
CD Review: Musicals, Vol. 1 – Tom Solomon
MUSICALS, VOL. 1 – Tom Solomon (released on 10 December 2021). Take eight of the greatest numbers in musical theatre history and, if the voice is good enough, you can’t really go wrong. Put experienced crossover performer Tom Solomon on their case, get it on the market for Christmas and you have a compilation that […]
‘There are giants in the sky’: The theatre community pays tribute to Stephen Sondheim
It feels pretty impossible to find the words to sum up the kind of influence composer Stephen Sondheim had on the world of musical theatre. There was of course the way he turned the genre on its head and made changes to form and content that had never been contemplated before. Then there was the […]
Line-up for 21st WhatsOnStage Awards revealed
Details of the star-studded line-up for this year’s special WhatsOnStage Awards ceremony have been unveiled. Reflecting current times as the industry awaits the return to live theatre following the Covid crisis, the event will feature performances from shows that were cut short in 2020 and selections from productions planned for 2021. Jodie Prenger and Tom […]
Dancing up a storm – Remembering Bob Avian
BOB AVIAN, the celebrated director, producer and choreographer, has died at the age of 83. Famed for his work on major productions of A Chorus Line, Ballroom, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre, Follies, Sunset Boulevard and The Witches of Eastwick, he had become something of a Broadway legend. Michael Darvell looks back over a long and […]
Tony Awards to go online
The exact date and format are still uncertain, but it’s been decided that this year’s long-delayed Tony Awards will be presented online in the fall. Originally scheduled for 7 June 2020 with its customary presentation on network television, The Tonys, like everything in the realm of Broadway, were knocked askew by the Coronavirus pandemic. Government […]
Book Review: West Side Story – The Jets, the Sharks and the Making of a Classic
WEST SIDE STORY – The Jets, the Sharks and the Making of a Classic – Richard Barrios (Running Press – ISBN: 978-0-7624-6948-2) Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ With the latest West Side Story movie being released this Christmas, Richard Barrios’ book couldn’t be more timely. And what a lovely book it is. Two […]
A Strange Loop voted Outstanding Musical in New York’s Drama Desk Awards.
A Strange Loop capped its winning streak in the 2019/2020 New York theatre season, as it grabbed the Outstanding Musical Award from the Drama Desk. The 65th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced on 13 June 2020 in a special pre-recorded presentation on a local television news channel. The awards are usually handed out with […]
A History of Shakespeare in Musical Theatre
Ian Bowkett writes: The history of theatre is musical. Bronze Age lyric poets sang to a lyre. Ancient African ritual storytelling was inseparable from its music and dance. Classical Athenian theatre was backed by a chorus. Even by Shakespeare’s day, it was unusual for plays to not include at least one song. The Bard himself […]
A Crossword of Sondheimian Rhyme
Stephen Sondheim is probably theatre’s greatest living lyricist. This is a compliment he may or may not be sick of reading, especially after last month’s deluge of well-deserved 90th birthday encomiums. Either way, as a (somewhat less-acclaimed) musical theatre maker myself I know there is something every proud lyricist could never tire of: people noticing […]
Watch The Showstoppers’ response to Elaine Paige’s 24-Hour Lockdown Challenge
Elaine Paige has taken to social media again to congratulate The Showstoppers’ team on their response to her challenge to compose a musical theatre song in just 24 hours. The musical theatre legend who asked the improvisation specialists to create a song about home-isolation in the style of her favourite musical, West Side Story has […]
Elaine Paige launches 24-hour Showstoppers song challenge
Elaine Paige has today taken to social media to challenge The Showstoppers team to compose a musical theatre song in just 24 hours. The musical theatre legend has asked the improvisation specialists to create a song about home-isolation in the style of her favourite musical, West Side Story. The finished song will be unveiled on […]
Sondheim at 90: A YouTube career retrospective
Ian Bowkett writes: It is deeply unfortunate that on the 90th birthday of legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim we are in the midst of a period without access to live musical theatre. However, that does make this the perfect time to scour YouTube for our favourite renditions of his songs to take us away to happier […]
West Side Story – Broadway Theatre, New York
West Side Story continues at the Broadway Theatre, New York, although performances have been cancelled through to 12 April 2020 due to the coronavirus emergency. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Yes, it has its idiosyncrasies, to put it mildly, but Ivo van Hove’s overhaul of West Side Story is a spectacular event. […]
INTERVIEW: Nikolai Foster on seeing West Side Story differently for a 21st century audience
Musical Theatre Review contributor Tina Foote counts herself very lucky in that she saw NIKOLAI FOSTER direct West Side Story with NYMT in 2013 at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. Foster was joined by a dream creative team including Drew McOnie (choreographer), takis (designer) and Tom Deering (MD), plus a wonderful cast of 40 young performers and […]
Curve’s West Side Story cast revealed
Heathers leading man Jamie Muscato and newcomer Adriana Ivelisse will play star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria in the eagerly-anticipated Leicester Curve production of the classic musical West Side Story. Following on from last year’s Made at Curve seasonal production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the team at Leicester’s major new production of the Romeo and […]
A tribute to Harold Prince – King of Broadway
The American theatre director and producer Harold Prince, celebrated for some of the most successful musical productions on Broadway and in the West End, recently died at the age of 91. For over 60 years he produced or directed many of the most original musicals in theatre history. Michael Darvell looks back at the life […]
Nominees for UK Theatre Awards 2019
Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome’s The Color Purple, Sheffield Theatres’ Standing At The Sky’s Edge and the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester’s West Side Story will battle it out for the title of Best Musical Production at the UK Theatre Awards next month. The three hit shows were among the list of nominees for the 2019 awards […]
West Side Story will Be Curve’s Christmas 2019 production
Classic Broadway musical West Side Story will be Leicester Curve’s Made at Curve Christmas production next year. Just a few weeks before the debut of this year’s eagerly-anticipated production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the team at Leicester have announced plans for a major new production of the Romeo and Juliet-inspired musical which will run […]
West Side Story – Bishopsgate Institute
West Side Story continues at the Bishopsgate Institute, London until 1 July 2018. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Since West Side Story opened on Broadway in 1957, there’sbeen a tendency to curb some of the excitement and drama of this groundbreaking show. This was apparent early on in Robert Wise’s film from 1961 that offered […]
BBC Proms to mark Bernstein centenary
This year’s BBC Proms will celebrate the centenary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein with performances of West Side Story and On the Town this summer. John Wilson will conduct the performance of the classic Romeo & Juliet-inspired story which will feature West End star Sierra Boggess as Maria and Broadway star Ross Lekites as […]
Hamilton collects seven Olivier Awards including Best New Musical
New American musical Hamilton collected seven Olivier Awards including Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards 2018 with Mastercard, the UK’s most prestigious stage honours, announced at London’s Royal Albert Hall and hosted by Catherine Tate. Composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire won Outstanding Achievement in Music (which Lacamoire accepted by singing a speech […]
Olivier Awards 2018 ceremony – Hamilton opener, Chita Rivera singing West Side Story, Joseph 50th ann tribute
Special performances to mark the 60th anniversary of the London opening of West Side Story and the 50th anniversary of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will feature in the star-studded ceremony for the 2018 Olivier Awards on 8 April 2018. Musical theatre legend Chita Rivera will celebrate her London debut as Anita in the classic […]
Bishopsgate Institute stages West Side Story in summer 2018
The Bishopsgate Institute will celebrate the centenary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein with a concert performance of his classic West Side Story next summer. Also marking the centennial of Broadway legend Jerome Robbins who directed and choreographed the original production of the Romeo & Juliet-inspired musical over 60 years ago, the show will play […]
Anna-Jane Casey – A Life in the Day – Live at Zedel
Anna-Jane Casey: A Life in the Day at Live At Zedel, London. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ From Annie as a young child in Manchester to Annie Get Your Gun in two months’ time in Sheffield, with plenty of West End shows and national tours in between, the awesomely versatile and […]
The voice of them all? – a tribute to Marni Nixon
Michael Darvell pays tribute to Marni Nixon (22 February 1922 – 24 July 2016). In Hollywood’s heyday the film studios were always looking for perfection in every aspect of their cinematic output. For film stars good looks were paramount, whereas the acting generally came second. Dramatic talent could always be fixed with training and experience, but beauty […]
West Side Story – Kilworth House Theatre
West Side Story continues at the Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire until 17 July. Rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Kilworth House has come bounding out of hibernation with a grand and reverent, if slightly tame production of Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ epic musical, West Side Story. Despite being nearly hidden from sight in the beautiful Leicestershire […]
Kilworth House Theatre presents West Side Story this summer
Casting has been announced for Kilworth House Theatre’s upcoming production of the classic musical West Side Story . Liam Doyle will star as Tony with Laila Zaidi as his Maria. Other leading roles will be played by Sophia Ragavelas (Anita), Justin Thomas (Bernardo), Benjamin Yates (Riff), Dermot Canavan (Doc/Krupe) and Nicholas Tizzard (Schrank). The cast […]
Interview – American actress Alexandra Silber back in the UK making her cabaret bow at Crazy Coqs
August has already been a big month for the American (but Scottish-trained) soprano ALEXANDRA SILBER as she’s just landed the part of Tzeitel in the Broadway revival of Fiddler On the Roof which opens on 12 November – eight years after she sang Hodel in the same show in the West End. And it’s going to get even […]
Daniel Koek – The Pheasantry
Daniel Koek performed at The Pheasantry, London. Star rating: 4 stars **** Having recently left the cast of Les Misérables as one of the longest serving Valjeans, Daniel Koek’s first live gig of 2015 afforded a rare opportunity to experience, in the intimate setting of The Pheasantry, a performance by an internationally acclaimed star of musical theatre […]
Daniel Koek launches new album at the Royal Albert Hall
Les Misérables star Daniel Koek graced the stage of the Elgar Rooms at the Royal Albert Hall this week to showcase his new album High. The highly-regarded Australian performer moved to London ten years ago when he was awarded a place on the musical theatre postgraduate course at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2005. This was followed by lead roles in shows […]
