New York, in the 1950s: Two gangs fight for supremacy: the Jets and the Sharks, one white American, the other immigrant from Puerto Rico. Racism, prejudice and violence shape their everyday lives, understanding between the groups is unthinkable. But Tony, former leader of the Jets, and Maria, whose brother Bernardo leads the Sharks, fall in love, unconditionally and regardless of their origins. But this love gives birth to provocation and threats, the conflict escalates with a dead person on each side: Bernardo kills Tony's friend Riff and is stabbed by Tony. In the end, Maria cannot prevent her great love from being killed too. Bernstein's global success is musically extremely complex and stirring, "Tonight", "Maria" and "Somewhere" are among the legends of American musical theater, with dance numbers of dramatic intensity. (https://www.freilichtspiele-hall.de/veranstaltung/west-side-story.html)