Full casting announced for Curve's Christmas production of West Side Story

Casting has been announced for the Made at Curve production of West Side Story, running in Leicester this Christmas 23 Nov 2019 – 11 Jan 2020.

Adriana Ivelisse as Maria

Jamie Muscato as Tony

Carly Mercedes-Dyer as Anita

Jonathan Hermosa-Lopez as Bernardo

Ronan Burns as Riff

Directed by Nikolai Foster

New Choreography by Ellen Kane

Musical Supervisor Sarah Travis

AT CURVE, LEICESTER – 23 Nov 2019 – 11 Jan 2020

Imagery is available to download here

The musical will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, responsible for Curve’s recent hit productions of White Christmas (also at the Dominion Theatre, London), Grease (currently on tour in the UK) and Scrooge, with new choreography from Ellen Kane (Cats, Universal/WorkingTitle film directed by Tom Hooper and Worldwide Associate Choreography on Matilda the Musical, RSC).

Adriana Ivelisse and Carly Mercedes-Dyer will play trailblazing women Maria and Anita, who arrive in the United States from Puerto Rico looking for a new life. Adriana, a Puerto Rican native and 2019 Spotlight Prize Finalist, will make her professional UK debut as Maria while Carly will play Anita, Maria’s closest friend.

Jamie Muscato (Bend it Like Beckham, Phoenix Theatre, Lazarus, Kings Cross Theatre, Heathers, Theatre Royal Haymarket and The Light Princess, National Theatre) will play Maria’s lover Tony.

Jonathan Hermosa-Lopez (Grease, UK and Ireland tour) and Ronan Burns (Kiss Me Kate, Sheffield Crucible Theatre) will play rival gang leaders Bernardo and Riff.

Darren Bennett, who has appeared in numerous Made at Curve productions including Grease as Vince Fontaine (2016 and 2019 UK and Ireland tour), Scrooge the Musical (2017) as Mr Fezziwig and cover for Scrooge, will play Police Detective Lieutenant Schrank.

The cast also includes Ryan Anderson (Grease, UK and Ireland tour) as A-Rab, Damian Buhagiar (Grease, UK and Ireland tour) as Chino, Thea Bunting (Grease, UK and Ireland tour) as Graziella, Alex Christian (Oklahoma!, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Baby John, Abigail Climer (Grease, UK and Ireland tour) as Consuelo, Isaac Gryn (Oklahoma!, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Action, Beth Hinton-Lever (Hadestown, National Theatre) as Anybodys, Katie Lee (Matilda, Royal Shakespeare Company) as Velma, Mireia Mambo (Evita, Regents Park Open Air Theatre) as Rosalia, Michael O’Reilly (Dirty Dancing, UK and Ireland tour) as Diesel, Dominic Sibanda (Aladdin, Prince Edward Theatre) as Indio, Dale White (Grease, UK and Ireland tour) as Big Deal and Christopher Wright (The Ladykillers, Oldham Coliseum) as Officer Krupke and Doc.

Speaking about the cast, Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:

“West side story really is one of the greatest musicals ever written theatre. To bring to life any piece of theatre you need an astonishing group of collaborators and we are proud to have assembled such a talented, imaginative and quintessentially 21st century group of actors, who will celebrate the heritage of this play, whilst rediscovering it for an entirely new generation. Adriana, Carly, Jamie, Jonathan and Ronan lead an outstanding company of actors, who all recognise how important the musical’s message of love and acceptance is in 2019.”

New York City, West Side, 1957. In the midst of gang rivalry and racial tensions, love at first sight strikes between Tony, a founding member of the White-American Jets and Maria, the sister of Bernardo, leader of the Puerto Rican Sharks. In the face of danger, the two young lovers continue to meet in secret – but the Jets and the Sharks have one last rumble to fight out.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet and with a timeless score including ‘Tonight’, ‘America’ and ‘I Feel Pretty’, West Side Story represents one of the greatest musicals of all time, filled with romance, charm, aggression and heartbreak.

West Side Story is based on a conception of Jerome Robbins, with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Tickets for West Side Story at Curve are available to book now. To find out more and purchase seats, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call Curve’s Box Office on 0116 242 3595 or visit the theatre in person.

Director Nikolai Foster
Choreographer Ellen Kane

Set Designer Michael Taylor
Costume Designer Edd Lindley
Musical Supervisor Sarah Travis

Musical Director – George Dyer
Lighting Designer – Guy Hoare
Sound Designer – Tom Marshall
Casting Director Kay Magson CDG

Ryan Anderson

Ryan trained at Laine Theatre Arts

Theatre: most recently Roger in Grease (UK and Ireland Tour); Blake in Bat Out Of Hell (Dominion Theatre);  Jeremy in Romance Romance (Above The Stag Theatre); Ste in Beautiful Thing (Above The Stag Theatre, 25th Anniversary); Peter Pan in Peter Pan (Wyvern Theatre); Sasha in Fiddler On The Roof (Chichester Festival Theatre); U/S Bert in Mary Poppins (International Tour); Berger in Hair (Hope Mill Theatre); Galileo in We Will Rock You (Anthem Tour); Genie in Aladdin, Dick Whittington (White Rock, Theatre, Hastings).

Darren Bennett

Rep includes: Lane and Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest – Birmingham Rep/Curve Leicester, Fezziwig in Scrooge, Callahan in Legally Blonde Monaco, Vince Fontaine in Grease – Curve, Leicester.  Joe Josephson in Merrily We Roll Along – Theatre Clwyd, Wales.  Ivor Novello in The Two Most Perfect Things – Riverside Studios, Hammersmith.  Gary Strong in Radio Times at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury.  Feste in Twelfth Night, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, Cheviot Hill in Engaged, Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl – Perth Theatre, Scotland.  Glitter boy in Hot Stuff – Haymarket, Leicester, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance – The Barn Theatre, Brighton.   Valentine in You Never Can Tell, Dan in Night Must Fall and Jan Warwick in the Unexpected Guest, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Gary in A Slice of Saturday Night – Mercury Theatre, Colchester.  Don Lockwood in Singin in the Rain – Courtyard Theatre, Hereford.  Rooster in Annie, Company in Fiddler on the Roof – West Yorkshire Playhouse.

The Serpent in Back to Methuselah, Lexy Mill in Candida, Squarcio in The Foundling and Tombes in The Twelve Pound Look – Shaw’s Corner, Ayot St Lawrence.

National Tours include: Vince Fontaine in Grease, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Male Vocalist in Judy Garland Songbook, Don Lockwood in Singin in the Rai, Bobby Child in Crazy for You, Billy Lawler in 42^nd Street, Spring in Hot Shoe Shuffle, Riff in West Side Story, Steve in Summer Holiday, Rum Tum Tugger in Cats, Wayne/Rock Hard in Hold Tight It’s 60’s Night, Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Pierre in The Boyfriend.

Butler in Sound of Music LIVE for ITV.

Christopher Wren in the 39^th year cast of The Mousetrap at the St Martins Theatre, London. Original cast/cover Lawrence and Andre Tibauld in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – Savoy Theatre, London. Golden Age of Dance – Theatre Royal, London

Workshops include: Mike in Easter Parade – American Church, King Connelly in Build Me Up Buttercup – Dominion Studio, Richard the Lion Heart in  Ivanhoe,  Man in Longer than it takes to Say Goodbye – Kings Head, Boromir/company in Lord of the Rings, Mr Gault in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane – Theatre Royal, Brighton and Gene Kelly in Ol Blue Eyes – Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline.

Damian Buhagiar

Training: Arts Educational Schools London

Credits include: Sonny in ‘Grease’ (UK and Ireland tour), Pepper in ‘Mamma Mia’ (Novello Theatre, West End), Ching Ho in ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ (UK Tour), Sonny in ‘In the Heights’ (Southwark Playhouse/Kings Cross Theatre), ‘Bugsy Malone’ (Lyric Theatre) and Joe Pesci/cover Frankie Valli in ‘Jersey Boys’ (UK Tour).

Thea Bunting

Thea trained at Bird College graduating in 2018.

Theatre credits include: Cynthia and cover Jan/Patty in Grease (UK and Ireland tour) and PC Ping in Aladdin (Cheltenham Everyman).

Credits while training include: The Pajama Game, 1984, Urinetown and A Chorus Line.

Ronan Burns

Ronan trained at The Arts Educational School and the Dance School of Scotland.

Theatre credits include: Kiss Me Kate (Sheffield Crucible); Lord Damming and understudy Gerald Bolingbroke in Me and My Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre) directed by Daniel Evans; the West End revival of 42nd Street (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Mac in Annie Get Your Gun (Sheffield Crucible); u/s Dandy Dan in Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith); Sweet Charity (Cadogan Hall); The Olivier Awards (Royal Opera House).

Workshops include: Donny Osmond in The Osmonds; Duke in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella (RUG/The Other Palace); Charles Howard in The Watsons (Chichester Festival Theatre) directed by Samuel West.

Most recently: Bride in Titanic (European Tour).

Alex Christian

Training: Bird College

Theatre includes: Sam and Dance Captain in Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre), Scranton Slim, Dance Captain and cover Nicely Nicely, Benny, Big Jule and Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls (The Mill Theatre at Sonning), Joe, Jimmy, off-stage Swing and Dance Captain in Flashdance (UK & International Tour), Featured Dancer in The Mountbatten Festival of Music (Royal Albert Hall), Ensemble & cover Nathaniel, Gregory and Philip in Welsh National Opera’s Kiss Me Kate (UK Tour) and Mike Costa in A Chorus Line (Studio House Productions)

Television includes: Young Officer in The King’s Man (20th Century Fox), Featured Dancer in Lexus Make Your Mark – Car Commercial & Immersive Experience (Atomized Studios) and Featured Dancer on X Factor – The Live Auditions (ITV)

Other work includes: All Ireland Medalist in Irish Dancing

Alex is delighted to be joining the cast of West Side Story and would like to thank his family and friends for their constant love and support

Abigail Climer

Abigail trained at Arts Educational Schools, London.

Theatre Credits Include: Cha Cha DiGregorio in Grease (UK and Ireland tour); Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre); Violet/Ensemble in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK Tour); Miss Hot Stuff in Hot Stuff (Oldham Coliseum); Spamalot (UK Tour); Waitress #1/cover Justice Charlier in Rock of Ages (UK Tour); Original cast in From Here to Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre); West End Heroes Charity Concert (Dominion); 42nd Street Charity Gala (London Palladium); Jasmine in Aladdin (Octagon Theatre, Yeovil) and 42nd Street (UK Tour).

Television Credits Include: Dancer in Slimfast Commercial (Thomas Thomas Productions) and Virgin Holiday Cruises Commercial (Dancer).

Isaac Gryn

Isaac most recently starred as Will Parker in Oklahoma! at the Chichester Festival Theatre after completing his training and graduating from ArtsEd in September 2019.

Other theatre credits includes: Cry Baby at ArtsEd, Bugsy Malone at Lyric Hammersmith.

Jonathan Hermosa-Lopez

Theatre credits include: Ensemble and understudy Sonny and Doody in Grease (UK and Ireland tour) and Levi in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Taylorian Productions).

Theatre whilst training includes: Davey Jacobs in Disney’s Newsies (ArtsEd); Oscar Jafee in On the Twentieth Century (ArtsEd); Bobby Strong in Urinetown (The BRIT School), Jim in The Hired Man (National Youth Music Theatre and Indo in West Side Story (National Youth Music Theatre.

Beth Hinton-Lever

Beth Hinton-Lever has an MA in Performance (Musical Theatre) from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and a BA in Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisations from University College London.

Her work in theatre includes Hadestown at the National Theatre; As You Like It at Queen’s Theatre in association with the National Theatre; Reasons to be Cheerful with Graeae and on UK tour; Spring Awakening at Hope Mill; Dancehall and Sleeping Beauty at Cast. Her awards include the National Student Drama Festival Award for Best Choreography.

Adriana Ivelisse

Boricua actress and singer Adriana Ivelisse Morales González graduated from The University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor of Arts majoring in drama, but always remaining close to the music department; she was part of the Jazz ensemble and trained with the soprano Zulimar López. While abroad, she studied in California and joined CSUN’s Studio Ensemble. There she had the opportunity to work with the film score composer John Debney.  She later joined the San Juan Philharmonic Orchestra, participating in the internationally known Casal Festival and working with the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki on his piece Credo. After graduating, she performed gigs with her Latin Neo-soul cover band “Medio Latir” in Puerto Rico.

Adriana Ivelisse recently moved to England to attend The Royal Academy of Music’s MA musical theatre course. Her eagerness to play and experiment on stage was recognized when she won joint first place in the Academy’s Ronald William White Prize for acting though song. She also excelled by being a 2019 Spotlight Prize finalist.

The role of María in West Side Story will be her Professional debut in the UK.

Katie Lee

Theatre Credits Include: Dancer & Dance Captain in Cinderella The Opera House Manchester, Swing/ Dance Captain in Matilda Royal Shakespeare Company, Ensemble in Bugsy Malone the Musical Lyric Hammersmith, Blousy Cover in Bugsy Malone the Musical Lyric Hammersmith, Acrobat/ Understudy in Matilda Royal Shakespeare Company, Adult Child Swing in Matilda Royal Shakespeare Company, Dinah Lord in High Society Music & Lyrics, Michelle in The Last Time I Saw Her Bloomsbury Festival, Child Adult Swing in Matilda Royal Shakespeare Company, Hortensia in Matilda Royal Shakespeare Company, Amanda Thripp in Matilda Royal Shakespeare Company, Kealey Gibson in Billy Elliot Billy London, Allison Summer in Billy Elliot Billy London, Eponine in Les Miserables Cameron Mackintosh Ltd and Cosette in Les Miserable Cameron Mackintosh Ltd.

Mireia Mambo

Training: Performers College.

Theatre includes: Evita (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Motown the Musical (Shaftesbury); Scaramouche (Teatre Victòria, Barcelona); Dolores in Sister Act (Spanish Tour); The Lion King (Lope de Vega Theater, Madrid); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); Ragtime, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre).

Television includes: Servir y Proteger (RTVE).

Film includes: Aladdin.

Carly Mercedes-Dyer

Training: The Arts Educational School, BA (Hons) Musical Theatre.

Theatre: Henri in The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre); Charlaine in Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Southwark Playhouse/Mercury Colchester); Fate in Hadestown (National Theatre); Helene in Sweet Charity (Nottingham Playhouse); Dreamgirls; Original Cast (Savoy Theatre), West Side Story (Salzburg Festival), The Lorax (Old Vic Theatre), Memphis, Original London Cast (Shaftesbury Theatre), How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Royal Festival Hall 2015), Kiss Me Kate; BBC Proms 2014 (Royal Albert Hall), Dance Til’ Dawn; Original Cast (UK Tour). Waitress #1, Dance Captain and first cover Justice in Rock of Ages, Original London Cast (Shaftesbury Theatre and Garrick Theatre), featured singer and understudy Elizabeth in Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre), June in Chicago (Cambridge Theatre), Tribe and Soul Singer in Hair (English Theatre, Frankfurt) and ensemble, understudy Taylor and Martha in High School Musical (Hammersmith Apollo).

Workshops/TV: Stable Productions Platform at The Beam Festival 2016 at The Park Theatre; Motown the Musical on ITV’s Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway; The Lorax (workshop/The Old Vic) directed by Max Webster and choreographed by Drew McOnie; The Happy Prince (workshop/Neil Marcus and Jane Semark of Stable Musicals) directed by Maria Friedman, choreographed by Drew McOnie; Memphis performing at The Olivier’s (The Royal Opera House, 2015); ITV’s This Morning (2015); Sunday Night Live at The Palladium (2014); Kimberley in But I’m a Cheerleader! The Musical (workshop/Crow and Elk Productions LTD and Adam Bialow, with Lionsgate), directed by Jerry Mitchell; Dance Til’ Dawn performing on the Royal Variety Show 2013 (The Palladium); Rock of Ages performing on Children In Need 2011, Dancing On Ice 2011; Hortensia in Matilda (RSC Workshop).

Soloist in Jason Robert Brown Workshop and ensemble singer with Barbara Cook and Friends in her 80th Birthday Celebration Concert at the London Coliseum.

Jamie Muscato

Theatre: J.D. in Heathers (The Other Palace), Young Edward Bloom in Big Fish (The Other Palace); Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde (Workshop); J.D. in Heathers (Workshop); Joe in Bend it Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre); Jake in Stay Awake Jake (The Vaults); Anthony in Sweeney Todd (Welsh National Opera); Nathan in House of Mirrors and Hearts (Arcola Theatre); Eddie in Dogfight (Southwark Playhouse); Joe in Bend it Like Beckham (Workshop); Harry in Blitz (Theatre Royal Stratford); The Light Princess (National Theatre); Les Miserables Chorus in 85th Academy Awards (Dolby Theatre); But, I’m a Cheerleader (Workshop); Rock of Ages (Shaftesbury Theatre); Colin in Falklands (National Theatre Studio); Love Story (Duchess Theatre); Jean Prouvaire in Les Miserables (International tour) Joly in Les Miserables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary (The O2); Rowan in X (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); Busker in Lift (Trafalgar Studios); Spring Awakening (Novello and Lyric Hammersmith)

Film: Father Patino in The Nun (New Line Pictures); Les Miserables (Working Title); Max in Euphoria of Drowning (Deminat Films) and Ben in Wild Oats (Maximillion Films)

Television: Rory Storm in Cilla (ITV); James in My Parents Are Aliens (Granada)

Michael O’Reilly

Training: Graduated from Bird College with a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre.

Theatre includes: ‘Johnny Castle’ in Dirty Dancing: the classic story on stage (UK and Ireland tour), Matthew Bourne’s Lord Of The Flies (Theatre Royal, Plymouth), Frantic Assembly’s Ignition (Stratford Circus).

Other Work Includes: Dancer for Magic Mike Live (Britain’s Got Talent final and Comic Relief live performances) Dancer for Pixie Lott (Manchester and Wembley Arena), Dancer for Demi Lovato, MTV EMA’S (Wembley SSE Arena).

Dominic Sibanda

Dominic trained at Laine Theatre Arts, graduating in 2018.

Theatre whilst training includes: Prince in Snow White (Civic Theatre, Chelmsford); Company; Star Track; Just So; u/s Hook in Peter Pan (White Rock Theatre, Hastings); The Laramie Project; Laine Aflame.

Most recently, Dominic made his professional and West End debut in Disney’s Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre).

Dale White

Most recently, Dale has appeared as Eugene in Grease (UK and Ireland tour)

Other theatre credits include: Merry Widow at the ENO, Ensemble in Aladdin (Hackney Empire); Dance Captain/Ensemble/Cover Scott in Strictly Ballroom at the Piccadilly Theatre, Mirvish Theatre (Toronto) and West Yorkshire Playhouse directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie and also in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park; Ensemble/Resident Choreographer in Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith); Starlight Express (Bochum Germany); Jack and the Beanstalk (Hackney Empire).

Dale has also performed at the Olivier Awards 2016 (Royal Opera House), Sunday Night at the Palladium and on The One Show.