Ryan McCartan and Shereen Pimentel to Star in WEST SIDE STORY at Washington National Opera

Washington National Opera has revealed new venues and dates for its production of Bernstein's West Side Story. It will be performed at the Lyric Baltimore on May 8, 9, 10; and at the Music Center at Strathmore, May 14, 15. West Side Story will be conducted by Bernstein protégé Marin Alsop (May 8, 9, 15) and Grammy Award-nominated conductor James Lowe (May 10 and 14). 

In the leading roles, Tony is played by Ryan McCartan, whose star turns on Broadway include Hans in Disney's Frozen, Fiyero in the long-running Wicked, and most recently Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. Shereen Pimentel performs the role of Maria—a role she performed both in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story, earning an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, and last season in Houston Grand Opera's production.

The annual WNO 70th Anniversary Gala will take place on the evening of May 16 at The National Building Museum. The Gala is co-hosted by famed Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz and Jamie Bernstein, author and daughter of West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein.

Since ending its affiliation with the Kennedy Center, WNO's inclusion of these three new venues for its 70th anniversary season reflects the company's commitment to reaching audiences across the greater Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region—while continuing to serve as the home opera in the nation's capital.

“We are grateful that so many people and partners have come together so WNO can ‘go on with the show,’” said WNO General Director Timothy O'Leary. “The public has rallied around Washington National Opera as more than just an arts organization, but as a part of American civil society, one of many institutions that make our culture more compassionate, connected, and beautiful.”

“As we begin this new chapter, WNO is honored to be performing at the Lyric in Baltimore and at Strathmore, in addition to our previously announced collaboration with Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. Through programs at home in D.C., combined with performances throughout our region, we look forward to reaching more people than ever before.”

Bernstein's West Side Story — On May 8–15, 2026, WNO presents the company premiere of Artistic Director Francesca Zambello's critically acclaimed West Side Story production.

A truly integrated music theater work, as conceived and created by four giants in their respective fields—Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents—West Side Story reimagines Romeo and Juliet as mid-century New York City residents who navigate between their love and their neighborhood's ethnic rivalries. The work was created in 1956, the year WNO was established.

The production will get the big orchestra treatment that only an opera company can deliver, with Robbins' original choreography, and will be conducted by Bernstein protégé Marin Alsop and James Lowe.

WNO 70th Anniversary Gala — In celebration of Washington National Opera's 70th anniversary and new chapter as an independent organization, this year's annual Gala on May 16 offers a celebration at the historic National Building Museum.

The evening includes cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a stirring program of operatic selections paired with musical theater counterparts, performed by stars from the company's May production of West Side Story, WNO's Cafritz Young Artists, and the WNO Chorus and Orchestra, alongside leading opera and musical theater headliners.

The popular composer of Wicked, Stephen Schwartz, and the author, director, broadcaster and filmmaker Jamie Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein, will co-host.

WNO's annual Gala raises support for the company's acclaimed productions, professional training programs, educational initiatives, and community engagement programs.