In an exciting return to the Indianapolis Zoo, with an original onsite design inspired by the beautiful Bicentennial Pavilion, Indianapolis Opera presents a beloved musical classic, West Side Story! A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, West Side Story is set in 1950s New York, where growing racial tensions between the Sharks, a gang of first-generation Puerto Rican immigrants, and the Jets, made up of ‘American’ boys, lead to an all-out street fight over territory. Meanwhile Tony, best friend of the Jets’ leader Riff, and Maria, sister to Shark’s leader Bernardo, unwittingly fall in love at a neighborhood dance, despite their differing backgrounds. But the purity of their love is challenged as chaos, prejudice, and tragedy churn around them. Boasting a brilliant score from Leonard Bernstein and libretto from Stephen Sondheim with famous numbers, like “Maria,” “Tonight,” and “Somewhere,” this production features an internationally acclaimed cast and shares a hope for peace in trying times.