An ambitious production directed by Dr Thys Heydenrych, with Prof. Barbara Hill Moore as music director accompanied by the Free State Youth Orchestra (FSYO), will be on stage at the Wynand Mouton Theatre.
The production West Side Story, which will be presented from 18 June to 21 June, will follow the international collaboration that yielded Carousel in 2024.
This forms part of the month-long stay of Moore and students of the Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, America; working together with drama and music students of the University of the Free State (UFS).
AboutWest Side Story
Widely regarded as one of the most influential musicals of the 20th century, West Side Story was conceived and originally directed by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.
The musical reimagines William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the vibrant yet turbulent setting of 1950s New York City. Against the backdrop of conflict between two rival street gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – the story follows the tragic yet hopeful romance between Tony and Maria.
Since its Broadway premiere at the Winter Garden Theatre on 26 September 1957, West Side Story has been celebrated for its groundbreaking fusion of music, dance, drama, and social commentary. Robbins’ innovative choreography, Bernstein’s dynamic score, and Sondheim’s sophisticated lyrics transformed the landscape of American musical theatre. Today, the work remains a timeless masterpiece exploring themes of love, prejudice, identity, belonging, and hope.
Background to the collaboration
The production West Side Story forms part of SMU-in-South Africa, an international study-abroad initiative founded in 2011 by Moore .
The programme was first hosted by the Opera School and Choral Academy (OSCA) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, where students presented a unique South African adaptation of West Side Story that incorporated local dance forms, percussion, and rhythms.
In 2013, the programme returned to the UKZN with a critically acclaimed production of South Pacific. More recently, the collaboration continued at the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Gqeberha in 2019 and 2022, where the SMU students and their South African counterparts staged successful productions of South Pacific and Oklahoma!
The 2026 production of West Side Story at the UFS continues this rich tradition of international artistic collaboration and promises audiences an unforgettable theatrical experience showcasing the talents of students, faculty members, and young musicians from both South Africa and America.
This is more than just a musical; it is a vibrant display of what is possible when institutions unite in the spirit of learning, creativity, and cultural exchange.
Attendance to the performance is free of charge, but bookings should be reserved through Quicket at the following times:
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