West Side Story - 4th July return to the Royal Albert Hall in 2014 for 5 performances only due to popular demand

9 May, 2013

Royal Albert Hall – Friday 4- Sunday 6 July 2014, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Following on from its sold-out anniversary performances in 2012 and over fifty years after its original release, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer re-mastered film returns to the big screen in high definition at the Royal Albert Hall with its original vocals and dialog intact.  Once again, experience this classic romantic tragedy and the bitter battle between the Jets and the Sharks as Leonard Bernstein’s electrifying score, featuring the much loved ‘America’, ‘Somewhere’ and ‘Tonight’, is dramatically brought to life on stage by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra with Jayce Ogren conducting.

Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, West Side Story features Robbins’ breathtaking choreography, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a screenplay by Ernest Lehman based on the masterful book by Arthur Laurents. Still praised to this day by critics and the public alike, West Side Story was the winner of ten Academy Awards®  including Best Picture and Best Music. It remains one of the one of the greatest achievements in the history of movie musicals.

Jamie Bernstein, Leonard Bernstein’s daughter, said: ‘I was ten years old when the movie of West Side Story came out, and oh, how I adored it. When I see the film now, with live orchestra, the music sounds so madly thrilling that it makes me feel ten years old all over again’  

Jasper Hope, Chief Operating Officer at the Royal Albert Hall, said: ‘West Side Story is an iconic film musical known and loved the world over. The public reaction to the shows and the demand for tickets was simply phenomenal; we knew immediately that we had to bring these live orchestral performances of one of the greatest movies ever made back to the Hall. This unique cinematic presentation is a must for any fan of West Side Story but these screenings will also introduce this timeless classic to an entirely new generation’

Paul Epstein, Senior Vice President of The Leonard Bernstein Office, said: ‘The brilliance and crispness of the brand new Blu-Ray print, together with the visceral excitement brought by a full orchestra of over 85 musicians, right there in the Hall with you, will make this experience of West Side Story one that you will never forget’

This event is part of the Royal Albert Hall’s series in celebrating classic films with live orchestra. 100,000 people have now enjoyed sold out performances at the Hall of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Matrix, the 50th Anniversary of West Side Story, Disney’s Fantasia, Singin’ in the Rain and the upcoming world premiere of Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton on October 7th and UK premiere of Pixar in Concert on February 22nd. The Hall looks to provide memorable visitor experiences for all and, as a charity, these own-promoted events form a part of its extensive public benefit remit.

Tickets are now on sale and priced from £15- £55. To book, please visit www.royalalberthall.com or call the Box Office on 020 7589 8212

West Side Story © 1961 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All rights reserved. © A.M.P.A.S.

Notes to Editors:

For further information, please contact Sean Carrigan on 020 7959 0531 or seanc@royalalberthall.com 

Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is the world’s most famous stage. Its breathtaking auditorium hosts over 370 shows a year by the world’s greatest artists. The magical atmosphere combined with inspired artists creates legendary events.

Opened in 1871 as part of Prince Albert’s vision for a centre for the Arts and Sciences, the Hall is a registered charity which operates without public funding, remaining true to his founding ambitions within a modern context. Extending the brand with 200 events outside the auditorium, the Hall has broadened its appeal to younger, diverse audiences whilst still engaging its existing customers.

The Hall also offers the Elgar Room, a state-of-the-art small-scale performance space which hosts performances of classical music, jazz and world music, comedy, dance and hush, a series of gigs for just signed bands throughout the year. In the main auditorium, it offers the Albert Sessions, an initiative that encourages up and coming acts to play at the Hall by offering reduced rental fees to promoters and lower ticket prices to encourage younger audiences to visit the Hall. It also works extensively with schools, young people, disadvantaged groups and partners such as Music For Youth through its Education programme, reaching over 100,000 participants each year as part of its extensive public benefit remit. It has also been appointed by the Arts Council as one of the country’s regional music education hubs.

For more information, please visit www.royalalberthall.com 
Registered charity number: 254543