West Side Story to premiere at Ensdorf Opera Festival in Germany

The musical will run from 13th August to 30th August

The Ensdorf Opera Festival is set to present the timeless musical West Side Story, bringing one of the world's most celebrated stage productions to its audience. Performed with dialogues in German and songs in English, the production runs for approximately three hours, including one intermission.

Inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story tells the tragic love story of Tony, a member of the Jets, and Maria, the sister of the Sharks' leader. Their romance unfolds against the backdrop of bitter gang rivalry, culminating in devastating consequences after a cycle of violence claims the lives of those closest to them.

Created by Jerome Robbins, with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story remains one of the most iconic and influential musicals ever written. The production features an international cast led by Anna Beatriz Gomes as Maria and Thijs Snoek as Tony, with Erika Del Re as Anita and Tim Olcay as Bernardo. The staging is directed and choreographed by Till Nau, with musical direction by Peter Christian Feigel. The Ensdorf production uses the German adaptation by Frank Thannhäuser and Nico Rabenald, while preserving the original English-language songs.

The musical was originally conceived, staged, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and premiered on Broadway under the production of Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince. Performance rights for the Ensdorf staging are licensed through Music Theatre International (Europe) Ltd., London, and Musik und Bühne Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Wiesbaden.

The festival's new production promises to bring the enduring themes of love, prejudice, and hope to life for contemporary audiences, reaffirming why West Side Story continues to captivate theatergoers around the world.