West Side Story at Gypsy of the Year 2007

The 19th Annual GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION announced a total of $3,927,000 had been raised by the over 64 participating Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tour companies to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

This year’s GYPSY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION started off with a special opening number in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the original Broadway production of West Side Story. The number, a medley of songs from the show, featured two time Tony Award winner, Chita Rivera (Anita) and her original West Side Story co-stars including Mickey Callan (Riff), Carol Lawrence (Maria), Ken LeRoy (Bernardo), Jamie Sanchez (Chino) and Reri Grist (Consuelo).

They were joined by cast members from the run of the 1957 landmark production including: Genii Charnin, Harvey Evans, Marilyn D'Honau, Alan Johnson, Gene Gavin, Ronnie Lee, George Marcy, Liane Plane, Martin Charnin, Grover Dale, Bill Guske, Ed Kressley, Sandy Leeds, Tony Mordente, Carole D'Andrea, Frances Davis, Lowell Harris, Julie Oser-McLeod, Noel Schwartz, and Gina Tricones. These legendary gypsies were joined by gypsies from currently running shows.

The original production of West Side Story, produced by Robert E. Griffth and Harold Prince, conceived and directed by Jerome Robbins, book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim opened on September 26, 1957 ran for 732 performances, closing on June 27, 1959. Mr. Robbins won the Tony Awardâ for Best Choreography.

The GYPSY OF THE YEAR opening number, which recreated the original Jerome Robbins choreography, was staged and directed by Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Ben Cohn.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $25025 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.

For more information, please visit Broadway Cares online at broadwaycares.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/BCEFA, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/BCEFA, watch us on YouTube at youtube.com/BCEFAtv, pin us on Pinterest at pinterest.com/BCEFA and tag us on Instagram at instagram.com/BCEFA.

Видео West Side Story at Gypsy of the Year 2007 канала Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS