by Michelle Gibson

The Upper Arlington High School Vocal Music Department will add to its repertoire of American musical theater classics this year with the production of West Side Story taking the stage Feb. 25-28.

“I wanted to break new ground for our storied tradition of producing great shows. I feel our students and our community really relate to musical theater that has a great story, especially one as historic as this one,” says director Eric Kauffman.

Set in mid-1950s New York, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim accompany Arthur Laurents’ story based on the plot of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The feud between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, uses dark themes to focus on social problems that marked a turning point in American musical theatre.

The members of the Sharks are first generation Americans from Puerto Rico taunted by the Jets, who consider themselves the true Americans. When Jets member Tony falls in love with Maria, the sister of Sharks leader Bernardo, the rivalry escalates to new levels until tragedy brings the fighting between the two sides to an end.

“West Side Story was the most collaborative undertaking that Bernstein, Laurents and Sondheim ever achieved in their careers. I am finding the same to be true here in UA as we try to work as a total production team to recreate this wonderful work of musical theater,” says Kauffman.

West Side Story will be performed at Upper Arlington High School Feb. 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m. Visit www.uavocalmusic.org for online ticket sales and additional information, or call 614-487-UATX.