Music Theater Works

08/25/2026

✨ “BREATHTAKING.” ✨

We are so grateful for this beautiful review from Mira Temkin of Splash Magazine!

🌟 “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.”
🌟 “BREATHTAKING … FILLED WITH SOARING MUSIC, ATHLETIC DANCING AND YOUTHFUL PASSION.”

Temkin highlights the incredible energy of the production, writing that the dancers “don’t simply fill the stage — they tell the story through movement, attitude and simmering tension.”

She also praises the production for capturing what makes WEST SIDE STORY so enduring:
“People who are divided by hatred can still dream of finding a place where they belong.”

Nearly 70 years later, this story still has something powerful to say. ❤️

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/25/2026

🎶❤️ THE SOUND OF WEST SIDE STORY ❤️🎶

There’s nothing quite like hearing Leonard Bernstein’s iconic WEST SIDE STORY score performed by a large live orchestra.

✨ People & Places — Flo Mano:
“Conducted nuancedly by Justin Kono with a 24-piece orchestra…”
From the opening “Rumble” to “America,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “Somewhere,” the music carries the story through every moment of passion, joy, conflict, and heartbreak.
With Linda Madonia as Musical Director and Justin Kono conducting, Music Theater Works gives audiences the rare opportunity to experience this legendary score with a full, powerful live orchestra.

🎼 24-piece orchestra
🎼 Conductor: Justin Kono
🎼 Musical Director: Linda Madonia

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/24/2026

🔥 A VIBRANT, BEAUTIFULLY STAGED PRODUCTION! 🔥

Thank you to Kimberly Katz of Buzz Center Stage for this wonderful recognition of Music Theater Works’ WEST SIDE STORY!

✨ “A VIBRANT, BEAUTIFULLY STAGED PRODUCTION THAT CAPTURES BOTH THE DRIVE AND THE ACHING HUMANITY AT THE HEART OF THE PIECE.”

Katz praises the production for delivering “crisp choreography, rich orchestral color, and performances that honor the emotional stakes of the story.”
She also describes the staging as one that “respects the legacy of West Side Story while making the experience feel immediate and alive for today’s audiences.”

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/24/2026

🌟 “WORTHY OF A STANDING OVATION.” 🌟

We are thrilled to share this incredible praise from Colin Douglas of Chicago Theatre Reviews for Music Theater Works’ WEST SIDE STORY!

✨ “ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING … WORTHY OF THE STANDING OVATION.”

Douglas calls this production “one of their finest shows to date” and praises the cast for their “absolutely astounding singers with powerful acting skills and unbelievable dancing prowess.”

He also describes the production’s choreography as “dazzling, almost athletic” and says the cast dances it with “passion and precision.”

A production this special deserves to be experienced live. ❤️

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
📰 Read the full review:
https://www.chicagotheatrereview.com/2026/08/worthy-of-a-standing-ovation/
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/24/2026

✨ THE CHOREOGRAPHY IS “STUNNING.” ✨

We love seeing the choreography in Music Theater Works’ WEST SIDE STORY get the recognition it deserves!

✨ Around Town Chicago — Al Bresloff:
“This is a musical that has wonderful choreography (Clayton Cross & Isa Ramirez) that, at times, is more ballet than typical Broadway Musical dance steps.”

“I must say, the choreography is ‘stunning’.”

From the explosive gang choreography to the sweeping ballet-inspired movement and the joy of “America” and “I Feel Pretty,” the dancers help tell every part of this story.

💃 Choreography by Clayton Cross & Isa Ramirez
with assistance by Alex Villaseñor

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/23/2026

🎶🔥 HEAR BERNSTEIN’S SCORE LIVE! 🔥🎶

Music Theater Works is bringing something truly special to the stage with a 22-piece orchestra performing Leonard Bernstein’s iconic score for WEST SIDE STORY.

✨ Chicago Broadcast Network — Reno Lovison:
“Conductor Justin Kono leads the 22-piece orchestra through Bernstein's challenging score, providing the audience with a rare chance to hear a large musical theater ensemble.”

Lovison also calls the orchestra one of the “unique and well-appreciated aspects of Music Theater Works.”

From the driving rhythms of “Prologue” and “Dance at the Gym” to the sweeping beauty of “Tonight,” “Somewhere,” and “One Hand, One Heart,”** Bernstein’s music is at the heart of this production.

🎼 Conductor: Justin Kono
🎼 Musical Direction: Linda Madonia
🎼 22-piece orchestra

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/23/2026

🎶✨ THE ORCHESTRA IS GETTING NOTICED! ✨🎶

One of the things making Music Theater Works’ WEST SIDE STORY so special is the incredible sound of Bernstein’s iconic score performed by a 22-piece orchestra!

✨ Newcity — Mary Wisniewski:
“A NIMBLE TWENTY-TWO-PIECE ORCHESTRA.”
Wisniewski praised the production for going big in every way, highlighting the combination of tremendous singers and actors, fabulous costumes, explosive choreography, and a nimble 22-piece orchestra.

🎼 Under the baton of Justin Kono, this incredible ensemble brings Leonard Bernstein’s challenging and vibrant score to life with the richness, energy, and sophistication this masterpiece deserves.

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/23/2026

🔥💃 HIGH-ENERGY ON STEROIDS! 💃🔥

The dancing in Music Theater Works’ WEST SIDE STORY is bringing the heat!
✨ Splash Magazine — Mira Temkin:
“The dancing is high-energy on steroids!”
“The dancers don’t simply fill the stage — they tell the story through movement, attitude and simmering tension.”

That’s the magic of WEST SIDE STORY — the choreography isn’t simply something to watch. It becomes a language of its own, expressing passion, conflict, identity, violence, and joy.
With choreography by Clayton Cross and Isa Ramirez, this production honors the spirit of the original while bringing fresh energy and athleticism to the stage.

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

Come experience the movement for yourself! 🔥

08/22/2026

🔥 DAZZLING. ATHLETIC. BREATHTAKING. 🔥

The choreography in Music Theater Works’ WEST SIDE STORY is earning some serious praise!

✨ Chicago Theatre Reviews — Colin Douglas:
“Dazzling, almost athletic choreography… danced with passion and precision by a multitalented cast.”

And he calls the “Prologue,” “Dance at the Gym,” “America,” “The Rumble,” the “Ballet Sequence,” and “Somewhere” “simply breathtaking.”
The production blends classical ballet, jazz, Latin ballroom, and modern dance to create a dynamic physical language for the story.

💃 With choreography by Clayton Cross and Isa Ramirez, every movement helps bring the passion, conflict, and youthful energy of WEST SIDE STORY to life.

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
📅 Now playing through August 30
📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

08/22/2026

⭐ “SOARING MUSIC, ATHLETIC DANCING AND YOUTHFUL PASSION.”

We are thrilled to share another wonderful highlight from Mira Temkin of Splash Magazine for Music Theater Works’ WEST SIDE STORY!

We are so grateful to Splash Magazine for celebrating the incredible music, movement, energy, and passion that our cast, creative team, musicians, and crew have brought to this production! ❤️

🎭 WEST SIDE STORY
A timeless tale of love and rivalry, WEST SIDE STORY brings Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the streets of 1950s New York. Caught between the tensions of two warring gangs—the Jets and the Sharks—Tony and Maria find themselves drawn to each other despite the violence that surrounds them.
Featuring iconic songs like “Tonight,” “America,” and “Somewhere,” WEST SIDE STORY remains one of the most powerful and enduring musicals of all time.
🇪🇸 Todas las funciones incluyen sobretítulos en Español.

📍 The George Van Dusen Theatre
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
📅 Now playing through August 30
📰 Read the full review:
https://splashmags.com/2026/08/west-side-story-at-music-theater-works-enjoy-a-breathtaking-production-of-a-broadway-classic/
🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/west-side-story/
📸 Photo credit: Brett Beiner

Some musicals entertain us. Others stay with us long after the curtain falls. Music Theater Works’ “West Side Story” is definitely in the latter category. This powerful revival of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical brings Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the streets ...