13/06/2026
OSM MEDIA
Netwerk 24
Elretha Britz
Arts Journalist
COLLABORATION BRINGS WEST SIDE STORY TO THE STAGE IN BLOEMFONTEIN
The musical West Side Story, with its bittersweet story and beloved songs, is a welcome gift to Bloemfontein audiences who have been deprived of large-scale professional opera and musical theatre productions since the 1990s.
West Side Story will be staged from 18 June through a collaborative partnership between the University of the Free State (UFS) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, USA. The UFS departments involved are the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts and the Odeion School of Music (OSM).
The cast features student actors and singers from both universities, while the music will be performed by the Free State Youth Orchestra under the baton of Dingaan Chabalala of the OSM.
The production is directed by Thys Heydenrych, Programme Director of Drama at UFS. Barbara Hill Moore of SMU serves as Music Director, with Albertus Engelbrecht of the OSM as Associate Music Director.
West Side Story, a reimagining of Shakespeare’s 17th-century Romeo and Juliet, is set in 20th-century New York City. Two rival teenage gangs dominate the streets: the Jets, made up of white youths, and the Sharks, whose members are Puerto Rican immigrants.
Tony, a co-founder of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, a recent immigrant from Puerto Rico. Her brother leads the Sharks, and both gangs are locked in a struggle for dominance on the Upper West Side.
When Tony and Maria’s relationship becomes known, tensions between the rival gangs escalate dramatically, leading to tragic and unforeseen consequences.
West Side Story is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicals of the 20th century. It was created by an extraordinary team of artists: Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed the original production, Leonard Bernstein composed the music, Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics, and Arthur Laurents authored the book.
Since its Broadway debut in September 1957 at the Winter Garden Theatre, the musical has been celebrated for its groundbreaking fusion of music, dance, drama, and social commentary. Sondheim’s sophisticated lyrics and Bernstein’s dynamic score transformed the landscape of American musical theatre. Today, with its enduring themes of love, prejudice, identity, belonging, and hope, West Side Story remains a timeless masterpiece.
The first collaboration between UFS and SMU took place in 2024 when they successfully presented Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s Carousel at the Wynand Mouton Theatre on the UFS campus.
The partnership between the two universities, situated on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, originated from Hill Moore’s vision to create international study opportunities for her students. After reaching out to South Africa and receiving a positive response, she established the international SMU-in-South Africa project.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban was the first South African institution to benefit from the initiative. It presented a unique South African adaptation of West Side Story, incorporating local dance forms and percussion rhythms. The Americans returned in 2013 to collaborate on South Pacific.
Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha followed, presenting South Pacific in 2019 and Oklahoma! in 2022.
As Hill Moore aptly notes, “These productions are more than just musicals on stage; they are a testament to what is possible when institutions collaborate in the spirit of learning, creativity, and cultural exchange.”
Performance Schedule
Dress Rehearsals
• 18 June at 15:00 – Wynand Mouton Theatre, UFS Campus, Bloemfontein
• 19 June at 15:00 – Wynand Mouton Theatre, UFS Campus, Bloemfontein
Public Performances
• 20 June at 18:00 – Wynand Mouton Theatre, UFS Campus, Bloemfontein
• 21 June at 14:00 – Wynand Mouton Theatre, UFS Campus, Bloemfontein
Admission to all performances is free of charge, but seats must be reserved through Quicket.
— Elretha Britz, Media24
[email protected]
