West Side Story: A very big deal in America

WEST Side Story is a cornerstone of musical theatre. It is enduring: it opened on Broadway in 1957 and plays at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre this week.

An interpretation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the musical is set on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the Jets and the Sharks battle over territory .

The attractions of dance, singing, and acting set West Side Story apart. It is the ultimate role, say the two female leads — Katie Hall, who plays Maria, and Djalenga Scott, who plays Anita. Both from musical families, Hall and Scott have long wanted to be in the show.