Meet the Cast of WEST SIDE STORY - Now in Previews on Broadway!

West Side Story is officially in previews on Broadway! The new production is directed by Tony Award winner Ivo van Hove; and for the first time ever in the United States, will feature all-new choreography by the internationally acclaimed Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. West Side Story will open on February 6th, 2020 at the Broadway Theatre.

The production will star Isaac Powell and Shereen Pimentel as star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria. Also leading the cast will be Yesenia Ayala as Anita, Ben Cook as Riff, and Amar Ramasar as Bernardo. Both Cook and Ayala are set to appear in the Steven Spielberg-directed West Side Story film as well.

As the cast gets ready for the start of performances tonight, get to know the company!

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Shereen Pimentel (Maria)

is currently a recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School. Theater: Young Nala in The Lion King (Broadway); Road Show (Encores! Off-Center); Rapunzel in Into the Woods (Juilliard).

Isaac Powell (Tony)

is best known for his role as Daniel in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Once On This Island, a role he earned two months after graduating from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Powell is a Grammy Award nominee for his work on the Once On This Island cast album and was also seen in last season's reboot of Murphy Brown on CBS.

Yesenia Ayala (Anita)

was most recently on Broadway in the highly acclaimed revival of Carousel. Additional Broadway credits include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Off-Broadway credits include Sweet Charity at The New Group and Trip of Love. Television: "Fosse/Verdon," "Modern Love." Film: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. Tour: West Side Story. Additional credits include Bombshell: In Concert and Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. Ayala received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from East Carolina University.

Amar Ramasar (Bernardo)

was born in the Bronx, New York, and began his studies at the School of American Ballet. Ramasar became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet in 2000 and joined the Company as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2001. He was promoted to Soloist in 2006 and Principal Dancer in 2009. Ramasar was featured in numerous works by George Balanchine including: Agon, Divertimento No. 15, Swan Lake, The Four Temperaments, and The Nutcracker. He was also prominently featured in works choreographed by Benjamin Millepied, Jerome Robbins, and Christopher Wheeldon. In addition, he originated several roles in works by Mauro Bigonzetti, Wayne McGregor, Justin Peck, and Alexei Ratmansky, among others. Ramasar is a Principal Guest Artist with the Teatro dell Opera di Roma and a Principal Guest Artist with Ballet Next. He is also a faculty member of the New York City Musical Theater Summer Intensive of The Joffrey Ballet School. In 2018, Ramasar played Jigger Craigin in the Broadway revival of Carousel. He was the recipient of the Bessie Award for Outstanding Performer in 2015 and a Mae L. Wien Award in 2000.

Ben Cook (Riff)

is appearing in his fifth Broadway show, having most recently played in the original cast of Mean Girls. He made his Broadway debut in the 2009 revival of Ragtime, and went on to perform in Billy Elliot: The Musical and Tuck Everlasting. Cook played the principal roles of both Billy and Michael on the national tour of Billy Elliot and was featured as Race on the first national tour of Newsies, which he reprised for the filmed version of Disney's Newsies the Broadway Musical. Cook portrayed Aaron Fisher in HBO's "Paterno" and is featured as Mouthpiece in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. Television credits include "Law & Order: SVU," "House of Cards," "Veep," and "30 Rock."

Ahmad Simmons (Diesel)

was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He has been previously seen in the Broadway companies of Hadestown, Carousel and Cats, and in A Chorus Line at New York City Center. Simmons made his latest television network appearance co-starring as Ben Vereen in the FX miniseries "Fosse/Verdon." A graduate of Point Park University with a BFA in Dance, he has toured Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Russia and all across the United States as a dancer with Parsons Dance Company, River North Dance Chicago, and Eisenhower Dance Detroit. Simmons is also a choreographer and writer.

Danny Wolohan (Officer Krupke)

made his Broadway debut as Boo Radley in the critically acclaimed and record-breaking production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Off- Broadway credits include The Low Road, Assassins, An Octoroon, The Flick, Pocatello, Patron Saint, Verité, Constitution, and Gnit. Television: "When They See Us," "The Blacklist," "Orange Is the New Black," "Law & Order: SVU," "Elementary," "Veep," "Boardwalk Empire."

Jacob Guzman (Chino)

began his career with Newsies The Musical on Broadway. Additional credits include NBC's "Peter Pan Live!," Fiddler on the Roof (Broadway Revival), and the first national tour of Hamilton where he was the dance captain and understudy for John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton. Guzman will be featured in Steven Spielberg's upcoming West Side Story and is very excited to be returning to Broadway with this company of West Side Story.

Kevin Csolak (A-Rab)

Past film credits include Rob Burnett's We Made This Movie and Henry Alex Rubin's Disconnect. Broadway credits include Mean Girls and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Television credits include a recurring role in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," guest-starring on "Jessica Jones," "The MICK," "KC Undercover," "Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street," and "Blue Bloods." Csolak performed with Justin Timberlake in the 2018 Super Bowl LII Halftime Show and with Hayley Kiyoko at the MTV Video Music Awards. He was also featured in Amy Schumer's viral and Emmy Award- winning music video, "Girl You Don't Need Make-Up" on Comedy Central's "Inside Amy Schumer." Additional credits include Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk (World Premiere), The Prom (lab), and The Burnt Part Boys (lab). Film: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story.

Matthew Johnson (Baby John)

was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and recently completed his freshman year as a dance major at The Juilliard School. Johnson is making his Broadway debut with West Side Story. Prior to Juilliard, Johnson attended Edward R. Murrow High School as a theater major. In 2013, he performed at the Broadway Beacon Awards, and during this time he performed with the Boys & Girls Choir of Harlem. He has had the privilege to perform with them at events such as Superbowl XLVIII's Superbowl Boulevard. Johnson also attended the Alvin Ailey School Professional Division Summer Intensives and the Hubbard Street Pre- Professional Repertoire Intensive.

Dharon E. Jones (Action)

is a Brooklyn native making his Broadway debut in West Side Story. Theater: first site-specific Little Shop of Horrors. Television: "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Film: Champions, Saturday Church. Student at Ithaca College.

Zuri Noelle Ford (Anybodys)

was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and began her dance training at DeKalb School of the Arts. She went on to pursue a BFA at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she had the opportunity to work with numerous notable choreographers. Upon graduating, Ford went on to freelance with various artists in the NYC area and is making her on-screen debut as an ensemble dancer in the feature film In The Heights. West Side Story marks her Broadway debut.

Daniel Oreskes (Doc)

recently played the role of Hirschfeld/Peres in the Tony Award-winning Oslo at Lincoln Center. Other Broadway credits include Billy Elliot: The Musical, The Miracle Worker, Aida, Electra, and The Song of Jacob Zulu. Off-Broadway credits include Taylor Mac's Hir (Playwrights Horizons); The Revisionist with Vanessa Redgrave and Jesse Eisenberg (Cherry Lane Theatre); Russian Transport, Happy Talk with Susan Sarandon (The New Group); Quills (New York Theatre Workshop); and Twenty-Seventh Man (The Public Theater). Film credits include The Thomas Crown Affair and The Devil's Advocate. Television credits include "The Sopranos," "Rescue Me," "Show Me A Hero," "Madam Secretary," "Blue Bloods," "Law and Order," "The Deuce," and many others.

Pippa Pearthree (Glad Hand)

Broadway: Tuck Everlasting; Noises Off; You Can't Take It With You; Boeing, Boeing; The History Boys; Titanic; Whose Life is it Anyway?. Off-Broadway: A.R. Gurney's The Dining Room, American Days, The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs, The Miss Firecracker Contest, Aunt Dan and Lemon. Television: "Law and Order," "The Good Fight," "House of Cards," "Buffalo Bill." Film: Mrs. Soffel, John Carpenter's Village of the Damned, The Hurricane, The Seagull.

Thomas Jay Ryan (Lt. Schrank)

West Side Story is Mr. Ryan's fifth production with Ivo van Hove, following The Crucible (Broadway); A View From The Bridge (Ahmanson/Kennedy Center); The Little Foxes; and The Misanthrope (NYTW). He has also appeared on Broadway in The Nap and In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play. Recent Off-Broadway credits include Dance Nation, The Amateurs, Measure For Measure, 10 Out Of 12, and many others. His film credits include The Plagiarist, Burn Country, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the title role in Hal Hartley's Henry Fool trilogy. He has received a Calloway Award, two Drama Desk Awards, and Drama League and Gemini Award nominations.

Alexa De Barr (Jet Girl)

will be making her Broadway debut in West Side Story. New York credits: I Married an Angel (Encores! New York City Center), Bombshell (in concert). Off-Broadway: Trip of Love. First national tour: An American in Paris. International tour: West Side Story. Regional: Jerome Robbins Broadway (The MUNY), Singing in the Rain, Cabaret, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Anything Goes. De Barr is a proud graduate of AMDA, NY.

Marissa Brown (Francisca)

studied at the University of California Irvine and California Institute of the Arts. As a performer she has worked with Donald McKayle, Benjamin Levy, Sharp & Fine, The Park Avenue Armory, and Phantom Limb Company. Brown creates her own dance and film work under the name Lone King Projects. Broadway debut.

Gabi Campo (Shark Girl, u/s Anita)

Broadway: The Prom (u/s Emma; Alyssa). Television: "Saturday Night Live," "73rd Annual Tony Awards". Regional: In the Heights, Evita. Campo graduated in 2018 from Pace University with a BFA in Musical Theater and is a Los Angeles native.

Daniel Ching (Jet)

is a NYC-based actor, dancer, and choreographer who graduated from The Juilliard School as a Hector Zaraspe Award Recipient for choreography. He had the privilege to be an original cast member of the First National Tour of Hamilton. Daniel has shown his own choreographic work at the Dumbo Dance Festival in New York City and the Dance Camera West Festival in California. Other theater credits include Working: A Musical at New York City Center for their Encores! Off-Center 2019 Season. Television: "Younger."

Audrey Collette (Swing)

is from Flagstaff, Arizona. She began her dance training under Andrew Needhammer. She is a proud graduate of CalArts (May 2019). Collette has performed in works by Colin Connor, James Franco, Dimitri Chamblas, and Merce Cunningham. She has directed dance films and virtual reality content. Broadway debut.

Lorna Courtney (Shark Girl, u/s Maria)

is thrilled to join the cast of West Side Story. Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen. Regional: Mama I Want to Sing. Additional credits: Me and My Girl; Crowns; Hello, Dolly!; In the Heights; Beauty and the Beast. Television: "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" with Chance the Rapper, "Today." Courtney was a Finalist for the 2016 National YoungArts Foundation. Education: LaGuardia High School (Voice); B.F.A., University of Michigan (Musical Theatre).

Marc Crousillat (Shark)

is a first-generation Cuban-Peruvian dancer based in New York City. He has danced with The Trisha Brown Dance Company (2014-2019), Netta Yerushalmy, Tere O'Connor, and John Jasperse. Crousillat is also the recipient of a Princess Grace Award (2016) and was listed as one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch in 2017". West Side Story is his Broadway debut.

Stephanie Crousillat (Shark Girl)

is a first-generation Cuban-Peruvian dancer based in New York. She earned her BFA in photography from Montclair State University. She has performed in Punchdrunk's Sleep No More since 2015, and in the Johannes Wieland Company at the Staatstheater Kassel Theater. She has been featured in various commercials and music videos, and has worked with artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Janelle Monae, and Mumford & Sons. Film: In the Heights. West Side Story will mark her Broadway debut.

Roman Cruz (Shark)

is a dancer, instructor, and choreographer. He began his formal dance training at Arts High School and went on to study at The Ailey School, The Joffrey Ballet School, and American Ballet Theatre. In 2007, Cruz became the recipient of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center/Star-Ledger Scholarship for the Performing Arts. While studying at The Juilliard School, he has had the privilege of working with such choreographers as Sidra Bell, Alexander Ekman, Luca Vegetti, and Fabien Prioville, while also performing classic works by Jose Limon, Mark Morris, and Nacho Duato. During his sophomore year at Juilliard, Cruz was honored with the Dizzy Feet Scholarship co-founded by Nigel Lythgoe, and starred in Jerome Robbins' Opus Jazz. He graduated from The Juilliard School with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts on a full scholarship.

Israel Del Rosario (Shark)

is 17 years old and making his Broadway debut in West Side Story. Israel has trained in all forms of dance, but especially enjoys hip hop, ballet and acting. Born in Florida and of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, Israel moved near Memphis, TN with his family in 2010. In Tennessee, Israel studied dance at NVS Studio and Subroy Studios; he then focused his training on ballet under the tutelage of the Collage Dance Collective (CDC). Israel danced with the Memphis Grizzlies Blue Bunch dance team from 2013-16, performed in the Hattiloo Theater's 2015 production of In the Heights and was recognized as the CDC Student of the Year in 2016. Upon relocating back to Florida with his family in 2016 Israel also received dance scholarships from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Miami City Ballet, Performance Edge and a Fine Arts Scholarship from American Heritage.

Jordan Dobson (u/s Tony)

Broadway debut. Most recent: Mr. Bingley in Austen's Pride. Other regional credits: The Color Purple, Cabaret, My Fair Lady. Graduate of Temple University (MT '18).

Tyler Eisenreich (Jet, u/s Tony)

is originally from Blue Springs, Missouri, and is making his Broadway debut with West Side Story. Tyler was most recently seen in The Muny's production of Guys and Dolls. He previously spent two years touring the country with Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. Additional credits: Chicago, Hairspray, The Addams Family (New Theatre Restaurant); Carousel (Kansas City Repertory Theatre and The Living Room Theatre); Shrek, Spring Awakening, Once Upon a Mattress (The Coterie Theatre, Kansas Ci

Armando Eleazar (Shark Swing)

was born and raised in Juarez, Mexico, where he began performing at the age of 18. After a year of self-teaching, he was accepted into the AMDA College of The Performing Arts in Los Angeles, where he received his BFA. Since graduating, he has been traveling the world performing and working with great names in the industry. West Side Story marks his Broadway debut.

Marlon Feliz (Shark Girl)

Originally from Miami, FL, Marlon is a proud alumna of New World School of the Arts and NYU's Tisch Dance BFA program. Notable credits include a National Tour of Saturday Night Fever, ¡Havana!, directed by Warren Carlyle, and many international tours with Pilobolus performing principal roles in Shadowland and Shadowland: The New Adventure.

Satori Folkes-Stone (Shark Girl)

is making her Broadway debut in this production of West Side Story. Folkes-Stone is a recent graduate of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Her performance credits include works by Azsure Barton, D. Sabela Grimes, Barak Marshall, and William Forsythe.

Constance Francois (Jet Girl)

is a Haitian-Taiwanese American actress and dancer from Baltimore City, Maryland. Through the years, she has performed pre-professionally and professionally around Baltimore and is particularly passionate about how the arts and activism intersect. In 2017, she performed at Baltimore Ceasefire, an initiative to reduce violence in Baltimore, and would later write and direct a play focusing on the empowerment of black girls for the summer program, 'A Revolutionary Summer'. Constance graduated from the theater program at the Baltimore School for the Arts in 2018 and is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance at the Peabody Conservatory, where she focuses on contemporary dance. In addition to the performing arts, Constance is a lifelong TaeKwonDo practitioner.

Yesy Garcia (Shark Girl, u/s Anita)

Broadway debut. First national tours: Love Never Dies, On Your Feet!. Additional credits: In the Heights (Theatre Under The Stars), Mamma Mia! (Royal Caribbean Productions) Film: In the Heights. B.F.A: Pace University.

Carlos Gonzalez (Shark, u/s Bernardo)

was born and raised in Cuba and graduated from Montclair State University with a BFA in Acting. Gonzalez made his Broadway debut in On Your Feet!, for which he was nominated for the Fred Astaire Award as Outstanding Male Dancer. Film: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story.

Jennifer Gruener (Jet Girl)

New York credits: Trip of Love (Stage 42) and I Married an Angel (New York City Center). Regional credits: Barrington Stage Company, Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre. Television: "Saturday Night Live," "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "Elementary," and the iHeartRadio Music Video Awards with Camilla Cabello. Graduate of the Indiana University Ballet Jacobs School of Music. West Side Story marks her Broadway debut.

Jarred Manista (Jet Swing)

is making his Broadway debut in this production of West Side Story. His recent credits include Baby John in West Side Story at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Fender in Hairspray at Skylight Music Theatre. Manista is an award-winner at several competitions and conventions including, the RADIX Dance Competition, Artistic Dance Exchange, 24 Seven Dance, The PULSE on Tour, NUVO Dance Convention, and the New York City Dance Alliance. He is a recent graduate of Dominican High School in Milwaukee, WI.

Michaela Marfori (Jet Girl)

is originally from Orlando, Florida. For the past 14 years, Marfori has trained in many styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, modern, and acrobatics. She has been actively involved in competitive dance, earning 3 national titles including the Star Systems Junior Miss Superstar in 2014, America's Junior Dancer of the Year in 2015, and American's Teen Dancer of the Year in 2018. West Side Story will mark her professional and Broadway debut at the age of 16.

Ilda Mason (Shark Girl Swing)

Broadway Debut. Favorite credits include Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, On Your Feet! (national tour), West Side Story (Paper Mill Playhouse, Signature Theatre), Cinderella (national tour), and Legally Blonde (international tour). Television: "Dancing with the Stars Panamá" (Season 2 champion).

Adolfo Mena Cejas (Mouthpiece)

is a filmmaker of award-winning short films. He studied Art History and worked as an Assistant Director in Havana at Compañía de Teatro El Público, directed by the auteur Carlos Díaz. Since 2016, he's been based in New York where he works as a director, videographer and editor. Broadway debut.

Michelle Mercedes (Jet Girl)

is a Miami native and a graduate of Florida State University. She has worked with Urban Bush Women and Dance Lab New York. New York credits: I Married an Angel (New York City Center), Samson et Dalia (The Metropolitan Opera). Regional credits: The Wiz (Virginia Repertory Theatre), Mary Poppins, Crazy For You, Footloose (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). West Side Story marks her Broadway debut.

Paul Morland (Swing, u/s Chino, Fight Captain)

was born in Medellín, Colombia and raised in Denver, Colorado. Tour: Fiddler on the Roof. Honors: Dance Magazine "25 to Watch" in 2019. Education: BFA Dance, NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Dance companies: Gallim Dance, Madboots Dance, Stefanie Batten-Bland, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Reiner. Broadway debut.

Mia Pinero (Swing, u/s Maria)

is a Cuban-American performer, originally from Racine, Wisconsin. Some of her regional credits include Eliza in My Fair Lady (PlayMakers Repertory Company), Laurey in Oklahoma! (Weston Playhouse), and Maria in West Side Story (Guthrie Theater). Mia has also been a part of a number of new works and concerts, including The Flood: A New Musical in concert with Prospect Theatre Company. She is a proud member of Actors Equity Association, and graduate of Montclair State University's Musical Theatre program.

Gus Reed (Gee-Tar)

is a filmmaker and performer from Orleans, Massachusetts. Recent projects include videos with The George Balanchine Foundation, The Jerome Robbins Foundation, Liz Gerring Dance Company, Kayla Farrish, Maggie Segale and Jodi Melnick. Columbia University graduate. Broadway debut.

Michael Seltzer (Jet Swing)

is making his Broadway debut in West Side Story. Regional: Paint Your Wagon, Jersey Boys (MUNY), Lost in Yonkers, Guys and Dolls (Weston Playhouse). BFA Musical Theatre: The Boston Conservatory.

Corey John Snide (Jet, u/s Riff)

led the West End and Australian companies of Billy Elliot: The Musical in the title role, and soon after appeared in Jason Robert Brown's original Broadway cast of 13 The Musical. He is a recent graduate of the Juilliard School for Dance and since graduating has been the Dance Captain for the recent Broadway revivals of Carousel and Cats.

Sheldon True (Shark)

began his training in jazz, contemporary, ballet, and hip-hop from the age of five at the Shelly True Dance Academy in Denver, Colorado. Since moving to Los Angeles after high school, he has been developing a series of programs called "Trucre8r" to empower the leadership and life skills of upcoming young talent and social media influencers. West Side Story makes his Broadway debut.

Ricky Ubeda (Shark, u/s Bernardo)

is originally from Miami, FL. He has been seen on Broadway in On the Town, Cats (Mistoffelees), and the most recent revival of Carousel. Television credits include "So You Think You Can Dance" (season 11 winner) and "Fosse/Verdon." Film: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story

Madison Vomastek (Jet Girl)

is a graduate of the inaugural class at the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance where she had the opportunity to perform work by Alejandro Cerrudo, Aszure Barton, Crystal Pite, Jodie Gates, Jiri Kylian, Sonya Tayeh, and William Forsythe. In February 2019, she performed with USC Kaufman's New York debut at the Joyce Theatre. She has been a guest artist with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Gala De Danza, Laguna Dance Festival, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Additionally, she was the lead in the 2018 Backstreet Boys music video "Chances."

Tony Ward (u/s for Doc, Krupke, Lt. Schrank, Glad Hand)

Broadway credits include The Front Page, The Audience, Twelfth Night/Richard III (with Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Little Foxes, Blackbird, The Norman Conquests, The Columnist. National Tour: Twelve Angry Men. Numerous Off-Broadway and Regional credits. Television: "New Amsterdam," "Person of Interest," "Mysteries of Laura," "Ironside," "Smash," "Law & Order," "Guiding Light." Film: Theresa Rebeck's Trouble, James Gray's The Immigrant. He received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama in 1994.

Bridget Whitman (Jet Girl Swing)

is a professional dancer and native to Tempe, Arizona. She received her Bachelor's in Fine Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia under the direction of Donna Faye, and was a recipient of the Susan B. Glazer scholarship. Credits include "So You Think You Can Dance" (Season 11), Rock the Ballet (International Tour), Paris by Night, Peter Pan; A Pirates Christmas.

Kevin Zambrano (Shark)

recently graduated with a BFA in dance from CalArts in 2018. He has performed with artists such as Solange Knowles and Charli XCX, for choreographers Gerard and Kelly and Rubberlegz, as well as a plethora of LA based companies. His choreographic work has been presented in Seoul, Korea, in Amsterdam, and at REDCAT in Los Angeles. West Side Story marks Zambrano's Broadway debut.