American icon
This weekend the WCFSO joins with New York musical institutions and other orchestras around the world in celebrating the life and work of Leonard Bernstein, who would have been 90 this fall. A highlight of our program is the Symphonic Dances from his most iconic composition, West Side Story, a work that has been thrilling audiences for more than half a century.
Here choreographer Jerome Robbins demonstrates a trademark move for the 1961 film. Learn more about the stage and film versions in a series of articles at NPR from last year’s 50th anniversary of the piece, including this one:
A Dream Team, a Dream Musical: ‘West Side Story’
NPR All Things Considered – September 26, 2009
Preluge, Fugue and Riffs, the official periodical of the Leonard Bernstein Office, also published an anniversary issue devoted to West Side Story [pdf].
