WEST SIDE STORY BOUND FOR SYDNEY

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2018 production of La Bohème.
Credit: Opera Australia/Hamilton Lund. 

Sydney will play host to one of the world’s greatest pieces of theatre, the much-loved West Side Story, when it takes to the stage at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour next year.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the production was secured by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, and will open in March 2019 for an exclusive four-week season.

“Every year we’re securing awe-inspiring performances exclusively for Sydney through Handa Opera, and I am delighted to see this world-famous production make its way to Australia’s Major Events State,” Mr Marshall said.

“We expect West Side Story to attract around 10,000 overnight visitors to Sydney, generating more than $10 million in visitor expenditure for NSW.”

West Side Story premiered on Broadway in 1957 with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The story is inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, with the action set in 1950s New York City.

The production will play on a magnificent stage at Fleet Steeps, Mrs Macquarie’s Point, from 22 March to 21 April 2019.