The evening at Feinstein's/54 Below will honor the legacy of Leonard Bernstein and commemorate the 65th anniversary of WestSideStory.
By
Andrew Gans
September 20, 2022
Bernstein on Broadway: A Celebration, honoring the legacy of conductor, composer, pianist, and educator Leonard Bernstein, will be held September 27 at 7 PM at 54 Below.
Produced and hosted by theatre journalist and historian Michael Portantiere, the evening will also commemorate the 65th anniversary ofWest Side Story and will feature an appearance by three-time Tony honoree Chita Rivera, who will share her memories about the original Broadway production, which cast the theatre icon as Anita.
Performers for the Bernstein celebration will also include Nikita Burshteyn (Romeo&Bernadette), Samantha Rose Cárdenas, Alex Getlin, Ben Jones, Jay Aubrey Jones (Cats), Albert Nelthropp, and Megan Styrna. Matthew Martin Ward is the musical director/pianist for the tribute, which will also be live-streamed.
Bernstein composed such Broadway favorites as On the Town, Wonderful Town, Candide, West Side Story, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
Surrounded by period-accurate, 19th-century holiday decorations lit via candlelight, the 70-minute production is based on Dickens' own script of the classic.