Sony Masterworks Proudly Releases West Side Story – The New Broadway Cast Recording

CD AVAILABLE NOW NATIONWIDE

MUSIC BY LEONARD BERNSTEIN, LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM

DIRECTED BY THE SHOW’S LEGENDARY AUTHOR ARTHUR LAURENTS

WEST SIDE STORY NOMINATED FOR 4 TONY(R) AWARDS

CAST APPEARANCE AT BARNES & NOBLE LINCOLN CENTER, NYC – 6/11 AT 4:30 PM

“The irresistible score, gloriously rendered here, remains a ravishment, with some of the most gorgeous love songs ever. It’s hard not to melt into sweet agony.” - Ben Brantley, The New York Times.

NEW YORK, June 4 /PRNewswire/ – Sony Masterworks proudly announces the release of the New Broadway Cast Recording of WEST SIDE STORY. The recording is available nationwide as of June 2, 2009. WEST SIDE STORY, currently running at the Palace Theatre in New York City, has been greeted with great critical acclaim and sold-out performances, shattering box office sales records at the venue. The production enjoyed its official opening on Thursday, March 19 following a pre-Broadway engagement at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., where the musical made its original world premiere in 1957.

WEST SIDE STORY is written by three theatrical luminaries: two-time Tony(R) Award-winner Arthur Laurents (book), multiple Tony and Grammy(R) Award-winners Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics). The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway’s finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as “Something’s Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere.”

“To have the opportunity to produce the new Broadway cast recording of the great American classic WEST SIDE STORY is truly an honor for Sony Masterworks,” said Alex Miller, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Sony Masterworks. “That this revival is so relevant, powerful and electrifying today, after more than half a century, only confirms the greatness of WEST SIDE STORY, which has been part of our label’s history since 1957. The new production and recording, which features a full 30-piece orchestra performing the original orchestrations, will introduce a new generation to the show, and we are proud to be part of it.”

The cast of 46 stars Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as “Tony,” Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as “Anita,” Cody Green (Movin’ Out) as “Riff” and George Akram (The Farrelly’ Brothers’ Stuck on You) as “Bernardo.” The role of “Maria” is played by Broadway newcomer Josefina Scaglione.

WEST SIDE STORY is produced by Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, Jeffrey Seller with Terry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Roy Furman / Jill Furman Willis, Freddy DeMann, Robyn Goodman / Walt Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller, The Weinstein Company and Broadway Across America.

WEST SIDE STORY earned 4 Tony(R) Award nominations including: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical ( Josefina Scaglione), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical ( Karen Olivo) and, Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Howell Binkley).

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SOURCE Sony Masterworks