West Side Story will return to the stages of Costa Rica, 10 years after its premiere at the Melico Salazar Theater. This time, the impossible love story between Tony, a former member of the Jets, and María, the sister of Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, comes to life thanks to Maracuyá.
This is an artistic project that combines stage training and theater production with projects such as workshops for In the Heights, Rent, Mean Girls, Les Misérables, the comedy Crimen, Champú y Tijeras, and the professional musical Los Últimos Cinco Años. These initiatives have been developed in conjunction with venues such as the Eugene O’Neill Theater, the Nico Baker Theater, and the Sala Garbo.
Details of the West Side Story production
Miguel Mejía, the production’s general director, explained that West Side Story will be presented on July 11, 12, and 13 in co-production with the Eugene O’Neill Theater in Montes de Oca. This is part of a musical theater training program that culminates in performances open to the public. Tickets are now available at teo.cr and cost ¢10,000, including taxes and service charges.
This production brings together 24 young artists—most of them under the age of 25—trained in Maracuyá, who are already emerging as promising artists in Costa Rican musical theater.
The production is directed by Miguel Mejía and choreographed by Mildred Ramírez, both with extensive experience and part of the original cast of West Side Story in their first production in Costa Rica.
Very thrilled
“I’m thrilled to see how a new generation of artists has embraced this work with such passion, talent, and depth. I’m deeply proud that Maracuyá is the space that supports them in their artistic and personal growth,” commented Mejía.
What is this musical about?
West Side Story is an iconic musical that tells a story of impossible love amidst the rivalry between two youth gangs in 1950s New York. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the plot is set on the Upper West Side and pits the Jets, young Americans of European origin, against the Sharks, Puerto Rican immigrants recently arrived in the city.
The romance between Tony and María unleashes tensions and tragedies, as both groups reject the relationship and violence escalates between the gangs. Despite Tony and María’s attempts to stop the fight and seek a future together, the story culminates in a series of deaths and irreparable losses, reflecting the consequences of hatred and intolerance.
