STAGE TUBE: First Look at WEST SIDE STORY in HD- 'The Prologue'

Bringing one of the most acclaimed works of musical drama ever captured back to movie theaters nationwide this fall, NCM Fathom and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) are presenting The West Side Story 50th Anniversary Event on Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00 pm local time. This unprecedented opportunity allows audiences to enjoy every sensational song and dazzling dance number in this cinematic masterpiece, which originally won a stunning 10 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, in 1961. The West Side Story 50th Anniversary Event will open with an exciting new TCM original production featuring a discussion with Walter Mirisch of The Mirisch Company, which produced the classic; Oscar®-winning actor George Chakiris; and vocalist Marni Nixon, who served as Natalie Woods' voice double. TCM Host Robert Osborne moderates the discussion, which was taped at the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival in historic Hollywood.

On November 15, audiences at home can experience MGM's WEST SIDE STORY: 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, when it debuts with a Limited Edition 4-Disc Numbered Boxed Set featuring Blu-ray, DVD, Tribute CD and collectible memorabilia, as well as a 2-disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Check out the full 'Prologue' from the classic film, as recently released by DanceOn, below!

Tickets for The West Side Story 50th Anniversary Event are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The West Side Story 50th Anniversary Event will appear in nearly 400 select movie theaters across the country via the new digital cinema projection systems.

"The West Side Story 50th Anniversary Event will give movie lovers around the country the opportunity to experience one of the greatest movie musicals of all time on the big screen through state-of-the-art digital projection," said Dennis Adamovich, senior vice president of brand and digital activation/general manager of festivals for TCM, TBS and TNT. "As an added bonus, moviegoers will also get to enjoy one of the many terrific panel discussions from the TCM Classic Film Festival. We're very excited to be partnering with NCM Fathom on this extraordinary event."

West Side Story is a modern adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet," retold as a story of New York City gang violence with a sophisticated scoring and exuberant choreography. The tale of young, star-crossed lovers became a parable of the modern world, where Maria (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer) were doomed not only by their passion but also by larger social forces. It transcended these apparent contradictions and made a classic tale timely by overlaying the love story with an exploration of mid-century racial tensions, transforming the Montagues and Capulets into the all-white Jets gang and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Music and story blended powerfully, as the sounds of the streets became the percussive muscle of a heavy-hitting score that blended jazz, pop and Latin rhythms. This monumental production, conceived and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, features the timeless lyrics of master American songwriter Stephen Sondheim, a magnificent score by Leonard Bernstein and a heartfelt book by playwright Arthur Laurents.