The musical West Side Story will premiere at the Nuevo Apolo Theatre in Madrid, December 16.

The show arrives in Madrid after touring in Barcelona for a year, after a tour of Spain.

The musical, with score by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, stars Lorenzo Moncloa (who acted in Les Miserables in Madrid) in the role of Tony, and Alicia Ferrer as Maria. Victor Ullate (son of the well-known dancer by the same name) and Fedor de Pablos play the roles of Bernardo and Riff respectively.

Ricard Reguant (Memory, The Rocky Horror Show, Blood Brothers,) is the show's director, Miquel Ortega is musical director and Barry McNabb the director of choreography.

The Nuevo Apolo Theatre has already housed great musical productions, including Les Miserables, that was on stage for more than two years; Goya, The Musical, the first great musical made in Spain, Memory, etc. It has been arranged for West Side Story to run at the Apolo until the middle of April 1998, although the possibility of the show running for a longer time is not discarded--it depends on the public's acceptance.

West Side Story runs at the Nuevo Apolo Theatre, 1, Tirso de Molina Street, Madrid---Spain. For tickets call the Box Office : +34 1 3690637, or 902488488(only from Spain).

--By Carlos Lorenzo
Spain Correspondent