Titled "West Side Story at 50: A Conversation with Arthur Laurents," the 6 PM discussion is part of the Library's forthcoming "A Rose by Any Other Name: Adaptations of Shakespeare" series. Laurents will discuss the classic musical West Side Story; Laurents penned the book to the 1957 musical, which features a score by Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics).

The Rose by Any Other Name series will also feature conversations with playwrights John Guare and Paula Vogel.

Arthur Laurents, the librettist for West Side Story; Hallelujah, Baby!; Anyone Can Whistle; and Gypsy, began writing for the theatre more than 50 years ago with the play Home of the Brave. Among his other works are The Time of the Cuckoo, Jolson Sings Again and 2 Lives. Laurents received a Best Director Tony Award for the original production of La Cage aux Folles. He also directed the Angela Lansbury and Tyne Daly revivals of Gypsy as well as Invitation to a March, I Can Get it for You Wholesale and Anyone Can Whistle. Laurents' candid autobiography, published a few years back, is titled "Original Story By."

Laurents most recently directed Tony and Olivier Award winner Patti LuPone in a revival of Gypsy at New York's City Center.

To access the webcast or to find out more information about the Library's series, visit www.nypl.org/lpaprograms.