Village Theatre Kidstage's Sumer Independent Gears Up To Produce WEST SIDE STORY, Set To Run 7/18-25

Village Theatre Kidstage’s Summer Independent gears up to produce the classic musicAl West Side Story, set to run July 18–July 25, 2009 at the Francis J. Gaudette Theatre in downtown Issaquah.

Kidstage Summer Independent is the pinnacle of the Kidstage program; the productions are planned far in advance and exhibit some of the finest talents Kidstage has to offer. Generally composed of Kidstage veterans, Summer Independent productions are also produced, designed, and directed entirely by young artists, and mentored by theatre professionals, setting Summer Independent apart from the other Kidstage productions. This is the first production of West Side Story in Kidstage history.

Set in the mid-1950s on Manhattan’s West Side, otherwise referred to as Hell’s Kitchen, the ground-breaking West Side Story tells the tale of a rivalry between two teenage gangs of differing ethnic

and cultural backgrounds. The story sings to a beautifully classical score with music by Leonard Bernstein (Candide, On The Town) and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (Into The Woods, Sweeney Todd). Suzie C. Bixler, Kidstage programs manager comments, “Director Joey Bennett and his artistic team selected this musical for Summer Independent to give the students a chance to work on a classical musical. This show truly presents a challenge in both music direction and choreography, and we’re all excited to see what these students will do with it.”

Kidstage Summer Independent’s production of West Side Story features 33 students, between the ages of 13-20 years old, from Auburn, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Bothell, Federal Way, Issaquah, Newcastle, NormAndy Park, Northbend, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, Spanaway, and Woodinville.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Michelle Sanders, Public Relations Manager at (425) 392-1942 x124 or at msanders@villagetheatre.org. Pre-production photos will be available on the Village Theatre website after June 30, 2009.