Director Ivo Van Hove Previews Major Changes in Upcoming West Side Story Revival | Playbill

Broadway News Director Ivo Van Hove Previews Major Changes in Upcoming West Side Story Revival The musical begins previews at the Broadway Theatre December 10.
Ivo van Hove Monica Simoes

Ivo van Hove, the Tony-winning director last represented on Broadway with Network, gave audiences an idea of what to expect from his upcoming re-imagined West Side Story revival in a new Vogue profile.

Known for his fresh approach to well-known classics (including A View From the Bridge, for which he won the Tony Award), van Hove revealed that this production of West Side Story will run without an intermission, made possible by eliminating the song "I Feel Pretty" and the "Somewhere" ballet. Additionally, the show will use the "America" heard in the 1961 movie.

“I want to make a juggernaut,” van Hove said regarding streamlining the show into one act. “You feel that these people are running toward their death and there’s no escape from it.”

The revival is already a highly anticipated one, as it is the first on Broadway to use new choreography—from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker—in lieu of Jerome Robbins' original.

Starring as Tony and Maria are Isaac Powell and Shereen Pimentel, respectively. Joining them are Yesenia Ayala (Carousel) as Anita, Ben Cook (Mean Girls) as Riff, and Amar Ramasar (Carousel) as Bernardo, Jacob Guzman (Newsies) as Chino, Ahmad Simmons (Hadestown) as Diesel, Danny Wolohan (To Kill a Mockingbird) as Officer Krupke, Daniel Oreskes (Oslo) as Doc, Thomas Jay Ryan (The Crucible) as Lt. Schrank, Pippa Pearthree (Tuck Everlasting) as Glad Hand, Kevin Csolak (Mean Girls) as A-Rab, Matthew Johnson as Baby John, Dharon E. Jones as Action, Zuri Noelle Ford as Anybodys.

Rounding out the ensemble are Alexa De Barr, Gabi Campo, Daniel Ching, Lorna Courtney, Marc Crousillat, Stephanie Crousillat, Roman Cruz, Israel Del Rosario, Jordan Dobson, Tyler Eisenreich, Armando Eleazar, Marlon Feliz, Satori Folkes-Stone, Constance François, Yesy Garcia, Carlos Gonzalez, Jennifer Gruener, Jarred Manista, Michaela Marfori, Ilda Mason, Michelle Mercedes, Mina Pinerom, Michael Seltzer, Corey John Snide, Sheldon True, Ricky Ubeda, Madison Vomastek, Tony Ward, Bridget Whitman, and Kevin Zambrano.

Also attached are van Hove's frequent collaborators: scenic and lighting designer Jan Versweyveld, costume designer An D'Huys, sound design Tom Gibbons, and video designer Luke Halls.

Scott Rudin produces in a new partnership with Barry Diller and David Geffen.

 
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