Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story opens the 2026 American Gothic Performing Arts Festival in a thrilling semi-staged concert presentation. With the Festival Orchestra on stage and dancers bringing Jerome Robbins’ iconic choreography vividly to life, this format places music and movement at the heart of the experience.

Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story tells the story of two rival teenage gangs—the Jets and the Sharks—locked in conflict on the streets of New York City. When Tony, a former Jet, falls in love with Maria, the sister of the Sharks’ leader, their romance ignites tensions that spiral toward tragedy. Through dance, song, and symphonic sweep, the musical explores themes of belonging, identity, prejudice, and the fragile hope for understanding in a divided world.

Rather than a fully staged production, this presentation focuses on the score’s electric energy, the storytelling power of dance, and the emotional immediacy of Bernstein’s music. Enhanced by evocative imagery, audiences experience West Side Story as both concert and theatrical event—urgent, kinetic, and deeply human.