Within weeks of the announcement that Opera Australia will be presenting a new production of Leonard Bernstein’s iconic West Side Story as its Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in March 2019, the company has announced that another different production (this one indoors) will come to Sydney and Melbourne next year.

Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment announced today that the BB Group production of the 1957 musical, which reimagines Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the streets of Manhattan, will be at Arts Centre Melbourne in April and the Sydney Opera House in August 2019.

West Side Story. Photo © Nilz Boehme & Johan Persson

The indoor production, directed by Joey McKneely, will essentially be the same production that toured Australia in 2010, when it starred Julie Lea Goodwin as Maria (she will play Maria in next year’s HOSH production) and Josh Piterman as Tony.

“West Side Story is one of the greatest pieces of musical theatre ever written, which is evidenced by its continuing success around the world. And to have two sensational productions in Australia in 2019 continuing the Leonard Bernstein anniversary celebrations is terrific. It was an opportunity that we just couldn’t...