West Side Story, a classic American musical performed at UF

October 29, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A classic tale of love and conflicting loyalties, the musical “West Side Story” debuted on Broadway in 1957. It ran for 732 performances before closing in 1959. Now, in its 50th anniversary year, performers from the College of Fine Arts recreate this passionate tale at the University of Florida.

Tony Mata will direct a new production of the Stephen Sondheim musical masterpiece, “West Side Story,” Nov. 9 – 18 at the Nadine McGuire Pavilion Constans Theatre on the UF campus.

Consciousness of racism was on the rise in the U.S. 50 years ago and, is still relevant today, Mata said. The musical theatre production will present the dark and complex themes of “West Side Story,” including the growing peril of gang warfare in the context of racial tensions created by clashes between whites and Puerto Rican immigrants of the time.

“West Side Story” strikes a personal note for Mata. Sondheim was his mentor and thesis advisor when he played the role of Bernardo in “West Side Story” at San Diego State University.

The collaborative production involves faculty and students from the School of Theatre and Dance, and the School of Music. In planning for this elaborate production, Mata and his students also met with Center for Latin American Studies professor Efrain Barradas to discuss the Latino issues presented in the production.

“I am passionate about this show. It has a lot of heart and human elements. It’s so well thought, it’s so beautiful…it’s the perfect recipe,” Mata said.

Leonard Bernstein’s score integrated Latin percussion and jazz, translating New York’s unique vitality into a musical idiom. The score boasts such tunes as “Tonight,” “America,” “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “Somewhere.” School of Music professor Tony Offerle will direct the music based on big band jazz and Latin-beat styles and performed by music students. The cast and crew features students from the College of Fine Arts’ School of Music and School of Theatre and Dance. Richard Rose, Theatre and Dance professor, and Judy Skinner, co-founder of Dance Alive, will recreate Jerome Robbins’ challenging and classic choreography.

The show will start at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays-Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays from Nov. 9-18. Reserved tickets for the show are $9 for students, faculty, staff, and senior citizens and $13 for the general public. To purchase tickets, call (352) 392-1653 or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/.