12/06/2026
MEDIA RELEASE
2026/06/08
International Collaboration Returns to the University of the Free State with West Side Story
Following the highly successful staging of Carousel (Rodgers & Hammerstein) in 2024, the international collaboration between Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, the Odeion School of Music (OSM), and the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of the Free State (UFS) returns to the Bloemfontein campus with a production of the iconic musical West Side Story.
The production will be presented at the Wynand Mouton Theatre on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus on the following dates:
Performance Schedule
Admission is free. Tickets can be reserved through Quicket.
West Side Story – Performance Schedule & Booking Links Quicket
Open Dress Rehearsal I (18 June, 15:00)
Open Dress Rehearsal II (19 June, 15:00)
Performance I (20 June, 18:00)
Performance II (21 June, 14:00)
This ambitious production is directed by Dr Thys Heydenrych, with Prof. Barbara Hill Moore serving as Music Director and Dr Albertus Engelbrecht as Associate Music Director. The production will be accompanied by the Free State Youth Orchestra, conducted by Dingaan Chabalala.
Prof. Hill Moore and the SMU delegation have once again returned to South Africa for a month-long residency at the University of the Free State. During their stay, they are collaborating closely with students from the Odeion School of Music and the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts in preparing this exciting production, continuing a longstanding partnership that promotes artistic excellence, intercultural exchange, and professional development.
About West Side Story
Widely regarded as one of the most influential musicals of the twentieth 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 forms part of SMU-in-South Africa, an international study-abroad initiative founded in 2011 by Prof. Barbara Hill 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 UKZN with a critically acclaimed production of South Pacific. More recently, the collaboration continued at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha in 2019 and 2022, where SMU students and their South African counterparts staged successful productions of South Pacific and Oklahoma!.
The 2026 production of West Side Story at the University of the Free State 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 the United States.
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.
Media Enquiries
Marius Coetzee
Innovation and Development
Odeion School of Music
University of the Free State
✉ [email protected]
