Washington National Opera’s performance of the musical theater classic West Side Story, on May 15, 2026, at The Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, achieved a new level of dynamism, delighting the sold-out audience. While the four Baltimore performances were fully staged, the two Strathmore performances were only semi-staged, meaning performed without sets (but with costumes and props). The Music Center at Strathmore has no orchestra pit, and so the WNO Orchestra (over 50 musicians) played from the back of the stage, which it shared with as many as 24 energetic and often acrobatic dancers.
From the moment that Leonard Bernstein’s indefatigable but catchy dissonant music began, the dancers, following the original genius of choreographer Jerome Robbins and managed in this production by Joshua Bergasse, moved with an easy grace that made them look like they were flying. Between the lush lyricism of Bernstein’s music, Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics, and the seemingly effortless precision of the dancers, this reviewer did not miss the omitted sets.
The Music Center at Strathmore features a concert hall with cachet. It has been notable for many years as a performance hall for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, whose former conductor Marin Alsop recently became the first conductor ever to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Alsop masterfully conducted the West Side Story performance, and her acumen added to the exhilaration of the evening.
West Side Story is a musical, not an opera. The music is not scored for the operatic voice but is intended to be mic’d. Arthur Laurents’ West Side Story book is based on Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliette, a tragic tale of the young love between two teenagers from two warring Italian clans. In West Side Story, Tony belongs to the New York street gang the Jets who want to rid their neighborhood of the Puerto Rican gang known as the Sharks. The problem is Tony sees his life changing. That change manifests as he meets Maria, the new girl in New York and the sister of the leader of the Sharks.
Ryan McCartan as Tony was the standout singer/actor. His tenor voice soared with lyric confidence and warmth as he sang “Tonight” and “One Hand, One Heart.” He made this reviewer care about him and when he gets shot, tears welled up. Shereen Pimentel as Maria was at her best in the quieter moments. Her voice became shrill when the part required more dramatic intensity.
Artistic Director Francesca Zambello made a memorable and pleasing choice with West Side Story as the 70th anniversary season’s end. With hard work and against all odds, WNO was able to find venues for the various productions. 2025/2026 has been a politically fraught time both for the people of the United States and for Washington National Opera which, by donor demand and actions by the sitting U.S. president, needed unexpectedly to exit the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in a hurry. Kudos to Zambello who led the move and also directed a flawless West Side Story.
2026/2027 is being advertised not just as a season—but as a movement. It includes a new production of Madama Butterfly, Nixon in China with Renée Fleming, a world premiere: O’Keefe: Kiss the Sky, which is a ballet opera, and more.
Karren LaLonde Alenier
