Theater Review

Frighteningly relevent West Side Story sounds glorious in Fort Worth

Tony (John Riddle) and Maria (Addie Morales) meet cute on the dance floor.

Photo by Curtis Brown

Overt racism, disparagement of immigrants, intense dance-offs — it's the 1950s onstage at Casa Mañana, but it might as well be 2017. A little outdated slang from Arthur Laurents' book doesn't diminish the cautionary message of West Side Story, which is still eerily relevant 60 years later.

A retelling of Romeo & Juliet set among two rival New York City gangs, West Side Story has always been able to count on Leonard Bernstein's lush score and Stephen Sondheim's incisive lyrics to transport its audience. This particular production also has Jerome Robbins' groundbreaking original choreography, meticulous re-created by Jeremy Dumont (who learned it from a Robbins assistant and danced it for years on tour). Though the athletic cast isn't always precise in their execution of the steps, it's still thrilling to see the storytelling come to life through the iconic movements.

Where the cast does consistently excel is with their singing. Broadway performer John Riddle soars during his lovestruck rendition of "Maria," while his young paramour (played delicately by Addie Morales) blends her crystalline soprano into their duets "Tonight" and "One Hand, One Heart."

Cassidy Stoner is lithe and feisty as Anita, who's betrothed to Maria's brother Bernardo (Sean Ewing), but her acting sometimes makes it seem as though she's in a different, more modern production. It's hard to say whether that's her choice or at the instruction of director Eric Woodall, but either way she definitely doesn't disappoint during her solos.

Dallas-Fort Worth favorite David Coffee is barely onstage as the soda shop owner Doc, but his few moments as the voice of adult, uncorrupted reason drive home the seriousness of the teenagers' hate-fueled actions (he also gets a short comic cameo near the beginning). The best to personify that simmering rage is Adam Jepson as Action, a character that doesn't often grab the spotlight with this much effectiveness.

The production wisely lets the the choreography and Samuel Rushen's gorgeous lighting design dominate the visuals. There's even a moment during the song "Cool" where the dancers' silhouettes seem to overtake the huge, dome-shaped interior of Casa Mañana, growing larger with each kick and crowding in on the audience from all sides. It's a spotlight side effect that heightens the scene's tension in a thrilling and unexpected way.

The same praise can't be doled out for Tammy Spencer's costumes, which separate the white Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks into black and white wardrobes. Some outfits are era-appropriate while others look as though they were just purchased from Forever 21, with the black clothing often disappearing entirely into Bob Lavallee's set. And let's not even talk about the denim nightmare that is the dream ballet.

Small quibbles aside, Casa Mañana has mounted one of the most brilliant American musicals with the care it deserves. Even more importantly, it doesn't shy away from highlighting the frightening similarities to today's social and political landscape, proving once again how powerful the arts can be at making a statement.

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West Side Story at Casa Mañana runs through March 12.

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summer arts preview

Ultimate guide to top summer 2025 arts events in Fort Worth

Photo courtesy of The Cliburn

Yanjun Chen, 23, of China is one of the 30 competitors in the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

There's no such thing as a summer break for the arts in Fort Worth - at least, not this year. The most important piano competition in the world gets started in late May, art museums present blockbuster exhibitions, and marquee-worthy plays and musicals take to local stages throughout the season. Here's a preview of the biggest arts and culture events around Fort Worth this summer.

Music

Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
The quadrennial "Olympics of the piano world" (and one of Fort Worth's most important cultural events) will feature 30 of the best pianists from around the globe to perform on the world stage in hopes of winning a gold medal, cash prize, and launching an international career. Preliminary and quarterfinal rounds, taking place May 21-25, will be at the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU. The semifinal and final rounds, taking place May 28-June 7, will be at Bass Performance Hall. The final-round concerts on June 6-7 will be simulcast at a free watch party in Sundance Square Plaza. A Grand Finale celebration on June 7 will include an introduction of the winners, food trucks, and fireworks. Tickets are available for all rounds. Learn more about the competitors here.

Outdoor concert series
Dallas-Fort Worth has several outdoor concert series in beautiful locations where you can pack a picnic and enjoy some music as the sun sets. Of note:

While the Fort Worth Symphony is not staging Concerts in the Garden this year, they are presenting a Sounds of the Summer Series inside the Fort Worth Botanic Garden Lecture Hall throughout June (June 13), (June 20) (June 27). Also included in the series a big community concert on the lawn of the Amon Carter Museum (June 21 ) featuring Sousa marches and Broadway tunes.
Levitt Pavilion in Arlington hosts free concerts each weekend through early July; check the website for full schedule and details.

FWSO Amon Carter Museum concert The Fort Worth Symphony will present an evening concert on the lawn of the Amon Carter Museum on June 21.Photo courtesy of FWSO

Opera Arlington presents Don Giovanni, June 6-7 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Arlington
Conducted by Jason Lim of the McKinney Philharmonic and accompanied by chamber orchestra, Don Giovanni will showcase a world of glamour, betrayal, and hair-raising drama.

PianoTexas International Festival at TCU, May 27-June 30 at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
The all-ages PianoTexas International Festival is an academy and festival will include piano recitals, masterclasses, and several ticketed concerto performances with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

Mimir Chamber Music Festival,June 30-July 11 at TCU
The annual Mimir Chamber Music Festival will present a series of concerts by professional musicians and emerging artists. Since its beginning in 1998, Mimir has presented over 200 exceptional concerts by renowned Mimir Artists, and has mentored some 500 talented young emerging artists worldwide. More information is here, and tickets will go on sale in June.

Theater and Musicals
Plays and musicals - both local productions and touring shows - aren't slowing down this summer. Click the links for full show descriptions and ticket information.

Broadway at the Bass presents MJ the Musical, through May 18 at Bass Performance Hall
Hip Pocket Theatre presents The Mad Dog Blues through June 8 at Hip Pocket Theatre
Casa Mañana presents Cats, May 31-June 8 at Casa Manana Theatre
Jubilee Theatre presents The Fall of Heaven, June 6-July 13 at Jubilee Theatre
Broadway at the Bass presents Moulin Rouge! The Musical, June 10-15 at Bass Performance Hall
Theatre Arlington presents A Chorus Line, June 6-22 at Theatre Arlington
Stage West Theatre presents Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Fallen Soufflé, June 12-29 at Stage West Theatre
Circle Theatre presents A Strange Loop, June 19-July 12 at Circle Theatre
Hip Pocket Theatre presents The Billy Club Puppets, June 20-July 19 at Hip Pocket Theatre
Stolen Shakespeare Guild presents Hairspray, July 11-27 at Stolen Shakespeare Guild
Broadway at the Bass presents The Wiz, July 15-20 at Bass Performance Hall
Broadway at the Bass presents Shucked, July 29-August 3 at Bass Performance Hall
Amphibian Stage presents The Heart Sellers, August 1-17 at Amphibian Stage
Hip Pocket Theatre presents Old Mother West Wind, August 1-24 at Hip Pocket Theatre
Stolen Shakespeare Guild presents My Fair Lady, August 8-24 at Stolen Shakespeare Guild
Theatre Arlington presents I’m Proud of You, August 8-24 at Theatre Arlington
Jubilee Theatre presents Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, August 15-24 at Jubilee Theatre

National tour of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Broadway at the Bass presents Moulin Rouge! The Musical Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Dance

Ballet Concerto: Summer Dance Concert, June 19-22 at The Shops at Clearfork
Now in its 43rd year, the annual summer showcase is once again being staged on the lawn of The Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth. Three pieces are planned for each night of performances - a combination of classical and modern ballets. Performances begin at 8:30 pm and are free to attend on the lawn, or $70 and up for reserved table seating. More information here.

Museums

"Richard Avedon at the Carter," through August 10 at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art
This "Richard Avedon" exhibition is presented four decades after Avedon’s "In the American West" and features 40 works from the series accompanied by behind-the-scenes archival material of Avedon’s acclaimed portraits. It also includes archival photographs captured by artist Laura Wilson. Commissioned in 1979 by the Carter, Avedon spent six years traveling to 189 towns across 17 states documenting his view of the American West through a series of portraits of people he encountered along the way. His works were first presented at the Carter in 1985, the large portraits have remained a cornerstone in the museum's photography collection and are some of the most important and influential portraits of the 20th century.

The Cinematic West, The Art That Made The Movies, now at the Sid Richardson Museum
The new exhibition examines the connection among artists Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and other artists at the birth of the Western film genre i Hollywood. Their depictions of the American West helped to shape visual language and narrative conventions of early Western films. The presentation places paintings, sculptures, and illustrations alongside clips from silent Westerns, vintage movie posters, and more.

Kimbell Art Museum presents "Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910–1945: Masterworks from The Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin", through June 22
The exhibition brings together more than 70 paintings and sculptures from the collection of the Neue Nationalgalerie, Germany’s distinguished modern art museum. It traces the German experience in the visual arts from the last years of the German Empire, World War I, and the liberal Weimar Republic that followed to the rise of National Socialism and Adolf Hitler, the Holocaust, and World War II.

David-Jeremiah, Hood Niggas Camping, from left, 1-Set-1, 1-Set-6, 1-Set-2, and 1-Set-5, 2020. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents David-Jeremiah: "The Fire This Time" Photo courtesy of David-Jeremiah

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents David-Jeremiah: "The Fire This Time", August 16-November 2
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth will present David-Jeremiah: "The Fire This Time," organized by guest curator Christopher Blay. The exhibition’s title, derived from that of James Baldwin’s novel The Fire Next Time (1963), refers to a stanza of the spiritual hymn "Mary Don’t You Weep: God gave Noah the rainbow sign, / No more water, the fire next time."

cliburn dance exhibitions museums music musicals opera outdoor concert series piano competition richard avedon theater concerts