Treat Yourself to The Gateway’s Riveting Revival of ‘West Side Story’

The houselights dim. A solitary streetlamp illuminates the set. Two rival teenage gangs battling for control of Manhattan’s Upper West Side storm the stage, snapping their fingers and swaggering. A simmering “Sneaker Ballet” unfolds. Guttural sounds and a few choice words fill the air. This well-calculated call to arms makes it clear that the percolating tension between the Jets and the Sharks is about to go nuclear. From this ominous opening to the heartrending finale, The Gateway’s spectacular “West Side Story” held Saturday’s opening night audience spellbound.

Conceived, directed, and choreographed by the visionary Jerome Robbins, this 1957 Broadway musical, a reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragic love story, “Romeo and Juliet,” features music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (in his Broadway debut), and a book by Arthur Laurents. A cultural phenomenon, “West Side Story” has seen five Broadway revivals and is frequently staged in regional, community, high school, and university theaters around the globe. This artistically innovative musical also spawned two highly successful films, the iconic 1961 version directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, which won 10 Academy Awards, and a 2021 version directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg.

Thanks to The Gateway’s talented Director and Choreographer, Vincent Ortega, and Associate Director and Choreographer, Ashley Klinger, this unforgettable production brings Robbins’ Tony Award-winning Broadway choreography to Long Island. Watching this energetic, eclectic blend of rigorous athletic jumps, jazz, ballet, and Latin-inspired movement (including salsa, mambo, cha-cha, and Afro-Cuban) was worth the price of admission.

Jackson Hurt and Sabina Collazo were ideally cast as the star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria. Tony is an ambitious former leader of the Jets from a white, working-class background, and Maria is a recent Puerto Rican immigrant eager to start anew in America. In their balcony duet, “Tonight,” Collazo’s soaring soprano filled the theater. Their palatable onstage chemistry made “One Hand, One Heart” a captivating duet. Hurt showcased a commanding tenor in “Something’s Coming” and delivered a stirring rendition of the operatic “Maria.”

Carlos Jimenez gave a memorable performance as Bernardo, a proud Puerto Rican immigrant, impassioned leader of the Sharks, and Maria’s overprotective brother. Franco Bianchi was believable as Chino, Bernardo’s friend and Maria’s intended suitor, whose jealous rage led to tragic consequences. Megan Elyse Fulmer delivered a standout performance as Anita, Bernardo’s spirited girlfriend and Maria’s confidante. Fulmer’s precise choreography and stellar vocals made the satirical, Latin-infused dance song “America” a real showstopper! One of the most poignant scenes in the show occurred during the emotionally charged duet “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love,” where Anita and Maria reach a deep understanding that, in matters of the heart, there is no right or wrong.

Ashton Lambert commanded the stage as Riff, Tony’s best friend and the die-hard leader of the Jets, hellbent on defeating the Sharks. Jimenez and Lambert are two powerhouse performers, and their showstopping dance moves and combat skills mesmerized the audience in the violently tragic “Rumble” scene that closed Act I with a bang.

“Dance at the Gym,” a big production number with frenetic, breathtaking choreography blending mambo, jazz, ballet, high jumps, and powerful kicks, featured the full company. To be cast as a gang member of the Jets or Sharks, or one of their Girls, a performer must be a triple threat, able to act, dance, and sing. This production features a cast that mastered that Herculean task! The Jets include PJ Palmer (Action), Jack Mintz (A-Rab), Keaton Bartz (Baby John), Jack David Mullen (Big Deal), and Gabriel Hobbs (Diesel). The Jets Girls include Olivia Schuh (Velma), Angelina Didea (Minnie and Margarita), Abigail Graham (Anybodys), Alysia Vastardis (Graziella), and Keegan Lavery (Pauline). The Sharks include Curtis J. Faulkner (Pepe), Rodolfo Santamarina (Indio), Bryan Ernesto Menjivar (Juanito), and Brandon Moreno (Toro). The Shark Girls include Samara DeCastro (Rosalia), Lily Mendoza (Estrella), Alexis Papaleo (Francisca), and Manuela “Mango” Agudelo (Consuelo). Amid the chaos and collision-course choreography, Tony and Maria find each other, and the scene takes on a dreamlike, slow-motion atmosphere as fate strikes and love takes flight.

A big round of applause goes to DeCastro for her moving performance of the hauntingly beautiful ballad “Somewhere.” Another standout number, “Gee, Officer Krupke,” provided much-needed comic relief. Action and The Jets demonstrated their strong physical-comedy skills throughout that hilarious scene, which was made even funnier by a set featuring a broken-down wooden fence defaced with graffiti and a colorful array of laundry hanging on a clothesline.

Bill Carmichael as Doc, Jesse Swimm as Lieutenant Schrank, Manny Erias as Officer Krupke, and Dustin Lawson as Glad Hand all gave outstanding performances. Lawson also worked a bit of magic backstage with his 1950s-style wigs, hair, and makeup designs.

Content Advisory: This show may not be suitable for all ages. While there is no official rating system for live theatre, please use your judgment based on age, maturity level, and subject matter.

The Gateway’s raw, kinetic, musically intoxicating production of “West Side Story” left me breathless and begging for more! The show runs now through May 31, 2026. For tickets, contact the Box Office at (631) 286-1133 or buy online at https://TheGateway.org/.

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning playwright. She holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Connecticut and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is the author of “Grant Me a Higher Love,” “Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships,” and “Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic.” Her full-length Music Drama, “Beethoven, The Man, The Myth, The Music,” is published by Next Stage Press. She is a proud finalist in the 2026 Press Club of Long Island Media Awards for outstanding journalism in entertainment.