West Side Story: Sarah Amengual plays Maria

Newcomer Sarah Amengual stars in the leading female role of 'Maria in the Broadway revival of West Side Story from 21 Sep 2010, assuming the role from Tony Nominated original cast member Josefina Scaglione who played her final performance on 19 Sep 2010.

Amengual is making her Broadway debut in West Side Story having just graduated from University of Miami with a BFA in Acting, with regional credits that include 'Les Miserables' (Eponine), 'Parade' (Mary Phagan), 'Ruthless' (Tina) and 'Rent' (Mimi).

West Side Story transports the tale of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the turbulent streets of the Upper West Side in 1950's New York City. Two star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, find themselves caught between the rival street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, the "Jets" and the "Sharks." The musical tells of their struggle to exist together in a world of violence, hate and prejudice.

The musical, which opened at the Palace Theatre on 19 Mar 2009, following previews from 23 Feb. The show will play its final performance on 2 Jan 2011.

West Side Story received mostly good reviews: "It snaps, it crackles, it pops!" (New York Post); "by far the best revival any of us will get in our lifetime. See it and cherish it." (Bloomberg); "it's still a wonderful show" (NewsDay); "as relevant and groundbreaking as the first production" (Back Stage); "this masterwork has been given the revival it deserves" (Variety).

The cast now stars Matthew Hydzik (Tony - will not perf Wed eve's and Sun mat's), Jeremy Jordan (Tony - on Wed eve's and Sun mat' perf's), Sarah Amengual (Maria), Natalie Cortez (Anita), John Arthur Greene (Riff) and George Akram (Bernardo).

Directed by multiple Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents,West Side Story features scenic designs by James Youmans, costumes by David C. Woolard, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound design by Dan Moses Schreier. Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely recreates Jerome Robbins's original choreography. (Robbins died in 1998.)

West Side Story is written by two-time Tony Award winner Arthur Laurents (book) and multiple Tony and Grammy Award winners Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics).

The Bernstein and Sondheim score features such classics of the American musical theatre as "Something's Coming," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere."

The revival is produced by Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander, Jeffrey Seller with Terry Allen Kramer, Sander Jacobs, Freddy DeMann, Roy Furman, Robyn Goodman / Walter Grossman, Hal Luftig, Roy Miller and Broadway Across America.