Photo Coverage: Steven Spielberg and Billy Crystal Visit Backstage At Broadway's WEST SIDE STORY

Hollywood royalty Steven Spielberg and Billy Crystal visited backstage with stars Matt Cavenaugh, Josefina Scaglione, Tony Award winner Karen Olivo, Cody Green, George Akram, Curtis Holbrook, and the entire cast of Broadway's WEST SIDE STORY after catching the show last night, Tuesday July 14th.

WEST SIDE STORY is written by three theatrical luminaries: two-time Tony® Award-winner Arthur Laurents (book), multiple Tony and Grammy® Award-winners Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics). The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as "Something's Coming," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere."

Karen Olivo (Anita) won a Tony Award this year for "Best Performance by a Featured Actress."

The cast of 46 stars Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as "Tony," Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as "Anita," Cody Green (Movin' Out) as "Riff" and George Akram (The Farrelly's Stuck on You) as "Bernardo." The role of "Maria" is played by Broadway newcomerJosefina Scaglione. The 21 year old actress comes directly, by special arrangement with Actors' Equity Association, from Buenos Aires after an exhaustive international search for the role. WEST SIDE STORY also features Steve Bassett as "Lt. Schrank," Mike Cannon as "Snowboy,"Kyle Coffman as "A-Rab," Joey Haro as "Chino," Eric Hatch as "Big Deal,"Curtis Holbrook as "Action," Michael Mastro as "Glad Hand," Lee Sellarsas "Krupke," Tro Shaw as "Anybodys," Ryan Steele as "Baby John" andGreg Vinkler as "Doc" along with Nicholas Barasch, Kyle Brenn, Joshua Buscher, Isaac Calpito, Haley Carlucci, Peter Chursin, Madeline Cintron,Lindsay Dunn, Yurel Echezarreta, John Arthur Greene, Manuel Herrera,Matthew Hydzik, Marina Lazzaretto, Chase Madigan, Yanira Marin,Mileyka Mateo, Kaitlin Mesh, Angelina Mullins, Kat Nejat, Christian Elán Ortiz, Pamela Otterson, Danielle Polanco, Sam Rogers, Michael Rosen,Amy Ryerson, Jennifer Sanchez, Manuel Santos, Michaeljon Slinger,Tanairi Sade Vazquez and Mark Zimmerman.

Directed by multiple Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents, with the original Jerome Robbins choreography restaged by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life), WEST SIDE STORY features scenic designs by James Youmans (Gypsy), costumes by Tony Award nominee David C. Woolard (The Farnsworth Invention, The Who's Tommy), lighting by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Gypsy, Jersey Boys), hair by Mark Adam Rampmeyer (The Farnsworth Invention) and sound design by Tony Award nominee Dan Moses Schreier (Gypsy, A Catered Affair). The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

WEST SIDE STORY is produced by Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, Jeffrey Seller withTerry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Roy Furman / Jill Furman Willis, Freddy DeMann, Robyn Goodman / Walt Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller, The Weinstein Company and Broadway Across America.

Tickets for West Side Story at Broadway's Palace Theatre are currently on sale at www.tickemaster.com, by calling 212-307-4100 or visiting the Palace Theatre box office. The playing schedule is as follows: Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday - Saturday at 8 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $121.50 - 46.50.

Photos by Peter James Zielinski

Josefina Scaglione, Cody Green, Steven Spielberg, Billy Crystal, Karen Olivo, Matt Cavenaugh, George Akram and the cast of WEST SIDE STORY

Billy Crystal

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg and Kevin McCollum

Josefina Scaglione, Cody Green, Steven Spielberg, Billy Crystal, Karen Olivo and Matt Cavenaugh

Steven Spielberg and Billy Crystal