April 26 – May 6 • San Lorenzo Valley High School
FELTON — San Lorenzo Valley High School is proud to present the landmark Broadway musical West Side Story, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents. West Side Story, directed by Will Guilford, with music direction by Nicki Kerns and choreography by Whitney James-Heskett, is presented at the San Lorenzo Valley High School Performing Arts Center April 26 through May 6.
Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. There is no performance Friday, April 27. Community Night is Thursday, May 3. Tickets prices are listed below and available to purchase in advance at: http://hs.slvusd.org/community/art-drama-boosters/
Inspired by the timeless story of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story takes Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, and places them in the vibrant battleground of New York City’s West Side in the 1950s.
With soaring, sophisticated, and diverse melodies, energetic and athletic dance battles, and its remarkably salient social message, West Side Story remains one of American musical theatre’s most revolutionary and most loved treasures. This show includes a cast of over 40 actors, with nearly 20 students involved in technical production positions.
SLVHS will have a donation container at each performance. Funds raised will be sent to a public school in Puerto Rico to support hurricane relief and rebuilding.
Will Guilford, Director, has been directing musicals in the San Lorenzo Valley and throughout Santa Cruz County for the past 30 years. This year marks his eighth time directing for SLVHS; past credits include Alice In Wonderland, Damn Yankees, Guys & Dolls, Oklahoma!, Crazy for You, and Grease. Presently, Will teaches 6th through 8th grade Drama at SLV Middle school, and Drama I and II at SLV High School.
Nicki Kerns, Music Director, vocal coach and pianist, holds a piano performance degree from Dominican College and is currently working toward her master’s degree in music education. She served a vocal coach on past productions of Grease and Crazy for You. Besides playing/music directing various shows in the area, Nicki is the music director/organist at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Santa Cruz, the accompanist for the choirs at SLVHS and SLVMS, the owner/piano instructor at Up Scale Music in Boulder Creek, and keyboardist for The Raytones.
This is Choreographer Whitney James-Heskett’s second time working with SLVHS. Previous credits include: SLVHS’s production of Urinetown; Mountain Community Theater’s productions of 9 to 5, the Musical, The Fantasticks and Young Frankenstein. She teaches at the Palomar Ballroom in Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz.
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Performance Dates
7:00 p.m.: April 26 and 28, May 3, 4 and 5
2:00 p.m.: April 29 and May 6
All performances will be held at the San Lorenzo Valley High School Performing Arts Center at 7105 Hwy 9, Felton.
Tickets: General Admission: $15, Seniors/Staff: $13, Students: $10, With ASB Card: $9 • Community Night: May 3 (all tickets $10)
West Side Story is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIshows.org