Ivo van Hove to direct West Side Story Broadway Revival

Ivo van Hove is to direct a Broadway revival of West Side Story at a theatre to be announced commencing performances in December 2019.

Ivo van Hove. Photo: Jan Versweyveld

This new Broadway revival will be the first major Broadway production to jettison Jerome Robbins original choreography. Contemporary dance choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker is to collaborate with van Hove on the project.

Production design for the revival will be by long-time van Hove collaborator Jan Versweyveld.

This production of West Side Story will be van Hove's first Broadway musical. Previosuly he has directed a revival of Rent in Amsterdam in 2000 and Off Broadway's Lazarus. He is currently preparing to direct stage adaptations of All About Eve and A Little Life as well as Mozart's Don Giovanni for Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. “What keeps theatre alive over time is reinterpretation, and when that reinterpretation is as invigorating as his productions of A View from the Bridge and The Crucible, it makes for something to look forward to with excitement,” said Sondheim in a statement.

News of this revival produced by super-producer Scott Rudin comes as Steven Spielberg's new screen remake of the show with new book by Angels In America playwright Tony Kushner moves forward towards production.

The last Broadway production of West Side Story incoporated Spanish translations of Sondheim's lyrics penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda reverting to the original English lyrics after several months. The show played at the Palace Theatre in 2009 Karen Olivo a Tony Award for her portrayal of Anita.

West Side Story has music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurents.

A theatre for van Hove's West Side Story has yet to be announced.

Check out this great website detailing this history of West Side Story