The fiftieth anniversary restoration of WEST SIDE STORY will play in theaters one night only
Multiple locations in the tristate area
Wednesday, November 9, 7:00
www.fathomevents.com
On September 26, 1957, a new kind of Broadway musical hit the Great White Way, a gritty retelling of Romeo and Juliet set among the world of New York City street gangs. A superstar collaboration between book writer Arthur Laurents, composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, choreographer Jerome Robbins, and producer Hal Prince, West Side Story went on to be nominated for six Tony awards, winning three, then was turned into a classic film in 1961, directed by Robbins and Robert Wise. In conjunction with the movie’s fiftieth anniversary restoration and the release of DVD and Blu-ray editions, West Side Story is being presented for one night only in theaters, where you can see it in all its glory on the big screen. The film centers on the forbidden love between Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood), triggering a war between the Caucasian Jets, led by Riff (Russ Tamblyn), and the Puerto Rican Sharks, headed by Bernardo (George Chakiris), a theme that takes on added meaning with the rabid anti-immigrant fervor of the last few years. The wonderful score features a bevy of instantly memorable tunes, including “Something’s Coming,” “Maria,” “Tonight,” “Gee, Officer Krupke,” “I Feel Pretty,” “Somewhere,” and “A Boy Like That,” with Rita Moreno nearly stealing the show as Bernardo’s girl. The film won eleven Academy Awards, with Oscars going to Wise (Picture), Chakiris (Supporting Actor), Moreno (Supporting Actress), Daniel L. Frapp (Cinematography), Irene Sharaff (Costume Design), Thomas Stanford (Editing), Fred Hynes and Gordon E. Sawyer (Sound), Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Irwin Kostal, and Sid Ramin (Original Score), Robbins and Wise (Director), and Robbins again (a special award for Brilliant Achievement in the Art of Choreography on Film). The fiftieth anniversary restoration, shown in widescreen format, will be screening on November 9 at 7:00 at the AMC Kips Bay, AMC Empire 25, and Chelsea Cinema in Manhattan in addition to theaters in Queens, the Bronx, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey (and all over the country).