Last week we heard some news that, as a good lover of New York, made me very happy. Starting next October we will be able to enjoy a little piece of New York in Madrid. Yes, the well-known musical West Side Story will come to the capital's Teatro Calderón to perform, for the first time in Spain, one of the most popular works by Leonard Bernstein (who, by the way, would have turned 100 years old last Saturday).
The original play premiered without much fanfare on Broadway in 1957, and was later taken to the big screen (1961) and became the second best musical in American cinema with 10 Oscars to its credit (out of 11 nominations). That is nothing.
I'm sure you've heard of this musical a million times, but do you know its story? The plot is based on one of the most universal stories: Romeo and Juliet.
A story of impossible love in 1950s New York, spiced with some drama and a musical repertoire that will go down in history. I bet you've hummed "America", the most famous piece of music from the play, more than once.
Life is all right in America
Returning to the story, and with the little music engraved in my brain for the rest of the day, West Side Story tells the story of the comings and goings of two rival gangs: the Sharks, of Puerto Rican origin, and the Jets, Americans but with European roots. In the midst of their ongoing feud, love develops between Maria (sister of the Puerto Rican leader) and Tony (close friend of the Jets' leader). From there, you can imagine the combination of love and hate that takes place on stage.
Now, Broadway moves to Madrid's Calle de Atocha to delight us with the original 1957 choreography and score. From 3 October until 2 December, the cast of West Side Story, under the direction of Federico Barrios, will revive the New York version of the Montagues and Capulets.
Without a doubt, this is the perfect excuse to organise a trip to Madrid and enjoy the capital, breathing a little bit of that 50s New York that I love so much.
What do you think of the plan? If you're also thinking about packing your bags and spending a New York weekend in Madrid, don't forget to include in your itinerary
the shops where you can find our granola La Newyorkina. The perfect topping for a night at the musical. :)
Cover image: promotional poster for the musical West Side Story
