Carnegie Hall's Giant, Starry WEST SIDE STORY Revival Opens This Weekend in Queens

Carnegie Hall's WEST SIDE STORY will be presented in three performances this weekend, March 4, 5, and 6, 2016, at the Knockdown Center, a restored factory in Queens.

The musical will be directed by Amanda Dehnert with Marin Alsop serving as music director and conductor.

In addition to the previously announced leads -- Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect, Spring Awakening original cast) as Tony, newcomer Morgan Hernandez as Maria, and Bianca Marroquín (Chicago and In the Heights on Broadway) as Anita -- the musical will also feature veteran actors Chuck Cooper (Tony Award for The Life) as Doc/Krupke and Peter Gerety (HBO's The Wire, Lucky Guy on Broadway) as Schrank, and a cast of young, rising Broadway performers.

WEST SIDE STORY COMPLETE CAST:

Skylar Astin, Tony
Bianca Marroquín, Anita
Donald Jones, Jr., Bernardo
Manny Stark, Riff

Featuring:
Chuck Cooper, Doc/Krupke
Peter Gerety, Schrank
Introducing: Morgan Hernandez, Maria

Alex Aquilino, Nibbles
Kaitlyn Benzant, Shark Girl 8*
Angel Blanco, Toro
Olutayo Bosede, Gee-Tar
Kendall Carter, Margarita*
Ariana Crowder, Indio
Karli Dinardo, Graziella
Zack Everhart, Mouthpiece
Emanuel Figueroa, Big Deal*
Hannah Florence, Francisca
Alexis Garcia, Clarice*
Fabian Garcia, Tiger*
Sebastian Garcia, Moose*
Damon J. Gillespie, Chino
Reyna Guerra, Pauline*
Anijah Lezama, Estella*
Sam Lips, Action
Alexa Maetta, Anybodys*
Robin Masella, Velma
Raymond Joel Matsamura, A-Rab
Melissa Hunter McCann, Teresita
Dashi Mitchell, Pepe
Emilio Ramos, Baby John
Julian Ramos, Luis
Hallie Richardson, Shark Girl 9*
Sydney Richardson, Jet Girl 9*
Alex Ringler, Diesel
Jillian Schear, Jet Girl 8*
Sherisse Springer, Minnie
Clay Thomson, Snowboy
James Tolbert, Juano
Martina Viadana, Shark Girl 7*
Jessica Walker, Consuelo
Michelle West, Rosalia
Ricardo Zayas, Anxious
Daniella Zunic, Jet Girl 7*

The cast includes 14 high school students from New York and New Jersey (noted with an asterisk above) who are working side-by-side with the professional performers throughout the rehearsal and performance process. In addition, nearly 200 teens from 25 high schools in all five boroughs of New York City will sing new choral arrangements of "Somewhere," the "Tonight Quintet," "One Hand, One Heart," "I Feel Pretty," and the "Jet Song," specially created for this production by Thomas Cabaniss.

Jerome Robbins' timeless choreography, reset by Julio Monge (Fosse, Jerome Robbins' Broadway), will be joined by new choreography in select parts of the show created by Sean Cheesman (FOX's So You Think You Can Dance) in an exciting blend of classic and contemporary. The production team also includes musical supervisor Leslie Stifelman (Chicago), scenic designer Eugene Lee (Wicked, NBC's Saturday Night Live), costume designer Tracy Christensen (Sweeney Todd and Company at the New York Philharmonic), lighting designer Edward Pierce (Amazing Grace, Wicked), sound designer Nevin Steinberg (Hamilton, It Shoulda Been You), technical director David Benken (Aladdin, The Lion King), and casting by Stewart/Whitley (On The Town, Pippin).

Leading up to the West Side Story production, new music created by students and community members will be showcased in five free Neighborhood Concerts, one in each borough of New York City. Through songwriting projects in public schools, juvenile justice facilities, foster care settings, after-school programs in Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing, and at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, participants have been challenged to connect the themes of West Side Story to their own lives, taking inspiration from the song "Somewhere." Partner arts organizations and community groups also join the conversation, inviting students, teens, and community members to respond to West Side Story's timeless themes. New works created through these partnerships across all artistic disciplines will be shared through events around the city and exhibited on site at the Knockdown Center prior to the West Side Story performances. Experiencing West Side Story as a celebration of community and music will encourage artists and audiences alike to embrace the vision of New York City as a "place for us."

For more information about The Somewhere Project, visit carnegiehall.org/WestSideStory.