Photo Flash: First Look at Corey Cott and More in WEST SIDE STORY at Lyric

Lyric's new grand-scale coproduction of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece West Side Story opens tonight and features Broadway star Corey Cott as Tony and rising star Mikaela Bennett as Maria. Additional lead casting includes Brett Thiele (Riff),Amanda Castro (Anita), Manuel Stark Santos (Bernardo), and Adam Soniak (Action). Performances run through June 2, 2019 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets are on sale now starting at $29 and can be purchased at lyricopera.org/wss or by calling 312-827-5600.

Get a first look at the cast in action below!

With a cast of nearly 100 artists and musicians, Lyric's coproduction brings a new energy and scale to West Side Story, which transports the story of Romeo and Juliet to the backstreets of New York and features iconic songs "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty," "Maria" and more. Staged by internationally acclaimed opera and theater director Francesca Zambello, the production features members of the Lyric Opera Chorus and Orchestra conducted by James Lowe.

West Side Story is a coproduction with Houston Grand Opera and Glimmerglass Festival. Zambello, who serves as the artistic director of the Glimmerglass Festival and Washington National Opera, returns to Lyric for the first time since her production of Porgy and Bess (2014/15) and has also directed Lyric Productions of Show Boat (2011/12) and Salome (2006/07). West Side Story features the original choreography by Jerome Robbins, recreated for Lyric by Julio Monge. Set designs are by Peter J. Davison, with costumes designed by Jessica Jahn and lighting designed by Mark McCullough. Mark Grey is sound designer and Michael Black is chorus master.

Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg