West Side Story in Concert

Based on a conception of Jerome Robbins
​​​​​​​Music by Leonard Bernstein  
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Arthur Laurents

Anthony Gabriele, conductor
Séimí Campbell, director
National Symphony Orchestra Ireland

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland (NSOI), by arrangement with Music Theatre International, proudly partners with Irish Youth Musical Theatre (IYMT) and the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) to present two concert performances of this masterpiece re-telling of Romeo and Juliet in its original Broadway orchestration.

Featuring a cast of young actors aged 16 to 25, West Side Story in Concert is directed by Irish West End director, Séimí Campbell, with Anthony Gabriele, renowned for his work as a Musical Director on London’s West End and a leading proponent of Film with Orchestra in concert, as conductor and music supervisor.

West Side Story, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Arthur Laurents, was the musical that changed Broadway. It caused a sensation at its 1957 premiere. Its popularity remains undiminished with countless revivals on stage and memorable film versions in 1961 – its 10 Academy Awards still a record haul for a musical – and in Steven Spielberg’s lavish 2021 version.

Relocating Shakespeare’s star-cross’d lovers to contemporary, gang-ridden New York, and boasting some of Broadway’s greatest songs – ‘Maria’, ‘America’, ‘I Feel Pretty’ and ‘Somewhere’ – West Side Story’s electrifying score pulses with jazz energy, Latin fire and heart-stopping passion.

West Side Story in Concert follows on from the hugely successful concert performances of Evita (2022) and Sweeney Todd (2025),both presented in collaboration with Irish Youth Musical Theatre and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. The unique approach followed offers performance, mentorship and training opportunities in a professional environment for young actors aged 16 to 25 from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Presented by National Symphony Orchestra Ireland in partnership with Irish Youth Musical Theatre and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.