Contact:
Kelly Posenauer
Director of Education
(434) 528-3256 x304
For Immediate Release:
06/26/2017
WEST SIDE STORY HITS THE ACADEMY’S STAGE THIS JULY
The Academy Center of the Arts’ Encore Youth Theatre program is proud to present their 2017 production: West Side Story! The show, directed by Michelle Velastegui, with musical direction from Dashay Glover and choreography from Ronnie Brady and Casi Briggs, will run Friday, July 7, 2017, at 7pm, Saturday, July 8, 2017, at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, July 9, 2017, at 2pm. All showings will take place in the Joy and Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre, located at 519 Commerce St.
Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story takes place in modern-day New York City as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.
The cast of Encore Youth Theatre is made up of high school students from the Greater Lynchburg community, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. In addition to four weeks of daily rehearsals, cast members also engage in morning classes to learn about costuming, stage combat, improvisation, dance, and music. “Our cast is composed of some of the most talented youth in our community. We have 38 students whose dedication and talent can rival that of adults,” said Kelly Posenauer, Director of Education at the Academy Center of the Arts. “The culmination of the cast’s hard work will be best viewed on the West Side Story Stage!”
Tickets are $15 (adults) and $8 (students). Patrons may reserve tickets online at academycenter.org, by calling (434) 846-TIXX (8499), or in-person by visiting our Box Office, located in the Joy and Christian Lynch Warehouse Theatre Lobby, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.
Parking for West Side Story is available at the Academy Center of the Arts. Additional free parking available for patrons include the Pacific Life parking lot and the Midtown and Suntrust deck on Main St. More information on parking can be found by visiting https://academycenter.org/parking-and-directions/.
All summer youth theatre performances have been sponsored by Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT), Baird, Genworth Foundation, and the Walmart Foundation.
For more information about this event or to purchase tickets, visit https://academycenter.org/event/encore-2017-west-side-story/.
###
The Academy Center of the Arts, anchored by the historic Academy of Music Theatre, is greater Lynchburg’s multi-facility center for arts, culture, and community building, occupying 1.25 blocks on Main Street in downtown Lynchburg. The Academy Center of the Arts, previously known as the Academy of Fine Arts, was formed in 2003 from the merger of the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center and the Academy of Music Theatre, Inc. Built in 1905 and closed in 1958, the Theatre is one of the few surviving Beaux-Arts style theatres in Virginia. For more information, visit www.AcademyCenter.org.
