“Something’s Coming” — but it won’t be Tony and Maria.
“West Side Story,” executive produced by Scott Rudin, will not reopen on Broadway. On Monday, producer Kate Horton announced that the 2020 Broadway revival of the Leonard Bernstein classic will not return, which came after months of no official announcements.
New York declared in May that theaters could return to 100% capacity on Sept. 14, just about 18 months after they were shut down by COVID-19.
“This difficult and painful decision comes after we have explored every possible path to a successful run, and unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, reopening is not a practical proposition,” Horton said. “We thank all the brilliant, creative artists who brought ‘West Side Story’ to life at the Broadway Theatre, even for so brief a time, especially the extraordinary acting company, 33 of whom made their Broadway debuts in this production.”
Tony-winning director Ivo van Hove, choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and designer Jan Versweyveld reimagined the 1957 production with Isaac Powell starring as Tony, Shereen Pimentel as Maria and Yesenia Ayala as Anita. Its run was only 21 performances, with opening night Feb. 20, 2020, and lockdown closing Broadway March 12. The musical being so short-lived, despite its heavy hitters, made it ineligible for Tony Awards consideration.
The revival featured a more up-to-date plot, a shortened book, greater hip-hop influence and new choreography — the first major US staging of choreography different from that of Jerome Robbins.
Rudin produced “West Side Story” before stepping back after multiple allegations of abuse by staffers.
“Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly,” he said in a statement in April.
In addition to “West Side Story,” shows such as “Frozen,” “Beetlejuice” and “Mean Girls” will not be returning to Broadway.
Horton was recruited to join Barry Diller and David Geffen on the large-scale revival of “The Music Man,” which stars Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.
“West Side Story” fans can watch Steven Spielberg’s version when it hits movie theaters Dec. 10.