Celebrating ‘West Side Story’ anniversary

The New Rochelle Opera will be marking the 60^th anniversary of the classic musical “West Side Story” with a concert titled “Bernstein and Friends.” Leonard Bernstein wrote the music for what some consider to be the greatest American musical, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The story was inspired by Shakespeare”™s “Romeo and Juliet.”

“West Side Story” opened on Broadway in 1957 and the movie version was released in 1961. The show was nominated for six Tony Awards and won two. The movie won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. 

The concert will feature selections by Bernstein and his contemporaries, sung by New Rochelle Opera”™s soprano Kelli Butler, mezzo-soprano Edith Dowd, tenor Tom Mulder, and baritone Wayne Hu, with a guest appearance by baritone Miguel Acevedo. The artists will be accompanied by Georgianna Pappas, and the program will be narrated by the New Rochelle Opera”™s co-founder and artistic director Camille Coppola.

“Bernstein and Friends” is at 3 p.m. on Sept. 17 in the Christopher Murphy Auditorium at Iona College, 715 North Ave. in New Rochelle. The event is sponsored by the Iona College Council on the Arts. Advance tickets at nropera.org or call 800-838-3006, ext. 1.