Skip to main content

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour West Side Story

22 March – 21 April 2024

This event takes place off site at Mrs Macquaries Point

Opera Australia

Musical Theatre

Join Opera Australia for Sydney’s best night out, with fireworks every night, take your seats under the stars.

Tonight, tonight the world is wild and bright. Going mad, shooting sparks into space!

West Side Story exploded onto Broadway in 1957 in a sensational storm of exuberant dance and wistful romance. It was a phenomenon that never faded, “an incandescent piece of work” (The New York Times).

In 2024, this musical masterpiece returns to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in an electrifying, larger-than-life staging. Experience the greatest score ever written for musical theatre, dynamic dance numbers that soar through the open air, and a love story for the ages.

It’s war on New York’s Upper West Side, and the Jets and the Sharks are locked in a fierce turf battle. But as the two teen gangs hurtle down a dangerous path, Tony and Maria cross enemy lines, dreaming of a time and place where they can love freely.

Leonard Bernstein’s score is punctuated with hits: ‘America’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Maria’, ‘I Feel Pretty’, and the enduring ‘Somewhere’.

Opera and musical theatre great Francesca Zambello directs a production that revels in all that’s beautiful about West Side Story, with designers Brian Thomson and Jennifer Irwin transforming Sydney into a slice of New York.

See why this staging became the highest selling ever on the harbour-top stage, delighting audiences and critics.

If you’ve never been to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, prepare for a remarkable night out. Arrive early to enjoy the sun setting over Sydney Harbour as you raise a glass and drink in the view at one of the five pop-up bars and restaurants on site. Then take your place in the grandstand by the water to enjoy the enthralling show, complete with live orchestra hidden beneath the dramatic stage and fireworks in the balmy night air.

Presented by Opera Australia

Watch the trailer

A wonderful production that uses the large, outdoor space cleverly, thrills with its electrifying choreography and catchy, complex score.

Limelight

Artist Information

CAST

Tony Billy Bourchier
Maria Nina Korbe

CREATIVES

Director Francesca Zambello
Musical Director Guy Simpson
Associate Director Eric Sean Fogel
Revival Choreographer Kiira Schmidt Carper
Set Design Brian Thomson
Costume Design Jennifer Irwin
Lighting Design John Rayment
Sound Design Des O’Neill

Plan your visit

You may also like

Cinderella

2 Jan – 28 Mar 2025

Feel all the magic of the fairy tale with enchanting music, playful choreography and extravagant costumes in this whimsical production of the classic opera.

  • Opera
  • Opera Australia

Big Christmas Spectacular

1 Dec 2024

Kick off the Christmas season in style with Big Live’s world-class dancers, orchestra and choir as they present a Christmas extravaganza like no other.

  • Dance

Nijinsky

4 – 22 Apr 2025

Acclaimed narrative ballet choreographer John Neumeier examines Nijinsky’s final performance, charting the rise and fall of a creative genius in vivid detail. He recalls his troubled family, his ill-fated romances and the transcendent performances that brought him fame.

  • Dance
  • The Australian Ballet

Checking availability