From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is regarded as a landmark Broadway musical - one of the finest musicals and greatest love stories of all time; "a story that must be told without fail." Arthur Laurents' book set in the 1950s in the Upper West Side of NYC remains a powerful and poignant theatrical story reborn throughout every age of human existence. At its core is the story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet echoed in the story of Tony and Maria's idealistic love caught between 2 warring street gangs/families/cultures on the streets of New York a message of unity that transcends all boundaries, whether it be "together, we are all Verona" or "together, we are all America/New York".

The score by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim are widely regarded as among the best ever written. ​The original 1957 Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, marked Sondheim's Broadway debut as a lyricist. It ran for 732 performances before going on tour. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in 1958, winning two: Best Choreography and Best Scenic Design. The show had an even longer-running West End production, a number of revivals, and international productions. A 1961 musical film adaptation, co-directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won ten, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Join us for this outstanding performance during our 2026 Woodstock Playhouse Summer Theatre Festival Season as we celebrate the 88th season of the iconic Woodstock Playhouse; originally established in 1938 by Robert Elwyn, a fifth-generation Woodstock Resident, Broadway/Film professional director/actor and member of one of Woodstock's oldest families...and during this 16th anniversary season of leadership by the current Woodstock Playhouse team.

This performance is brought to the stage of the iconic Woodstock Playhouse featuring the Woodstock Playhouse Summer Theatre Cast 2026, a regional company of professional performers widely acclaimed for some of the finest performances in our NY & Tri-State region at one of the most iconic theatrical sites in the Hudson Valley.