WEST Side Story will be staged at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage next month. The world s greatest love story will take to the streets of New York in a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet. Based in the 1950s, two idealistic lovers (Maria and Tony

WEST Side Story will be staged at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage next month.

The world's greatest love story will take to the streets of New York in a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet.

Based in the 1950s, two idealistic lovers (Maria and Tony) struggle to survive in a world of hate, prejudice and violence, and find themselves between two warring teenage street gangs - the American Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks.

Somewhere, Tonight, Something's Coming, Maria, America and I Feel Pretty are classic songs that will feature in the musical.

Bernstein and Sondheim's musical is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

It has been staged at theatres and schools throughout the world but debuted on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 26, 1957. It played 732 performances before going on tour.

Performances are on August 14-19 at 7.45pm and 2.30pm.

Ticket prices range from £14.00-£19.50 and can be booked by calling the Box Office on 08700 131 030.

FACT FILE

# Audrey Hepburn was offered the role of Maria, but turned it down because she was pregnant.

# Elvis Presley was originally approached for the role of Tony but his manager believed the role was wrong for him and made him decline in favour of other movie musicals.

# Director Robert Wise hired New York gang members to control crowds on location, and fought to shoot on location in New York City.

# Six members of the original Broadway cast appeared in the movie.

# Most of the dancers in the film suffered from shin splints because they were dancing on pavements as opposed to a wooden stage or floor.

# The original script was intended to be a Catholic boy falling in love with a Jewish girl and the title was East Side Story. After a boom of Puerto Rican immigration to New York in the late 1940s and 1950s the story was changed.