Three performances of West Side Story will take place March 4-6, 2016, at the Knockdown Center, a restored 50,000-square-foot factory located in Maspeth, NY.
Director Amanda Dehnert (Into the Woods at OSF, Richard III at the Public) will stage the production that will feature Broadway actors in the leading roles, with students and community members from across New York City on stage. The original Jerome Robbins choreography will be used.
Casting will be announced at a later date.
Marin Alsop, a protégée of Bernstein's, will conduct.
The production was announced as part of Carnegie Hall's 2015-16 programming slate. West Side Story is the anchor production for "The Somewhere Project," a city-wide celebration of the musical that will reach individuals living in all five boroughs in an effort to "encourage artists and audiences to consider the work’s timeless themes, inviting them to embrace the vision of New York City as a place for us."
"The Somewhere Project" will also invite students and community members to create new works inspired by the song "Somewhere." Their works will be presented in free Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts in all five boroughs.
Further details on "The Somewhere Project" will be announced at a later date.