Florida musical theatre students prepare to bring “West Side Story” to life at Dr. Phillips Center
High school students from across Florida are preparing for three performances of “West Side Story” at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as part of its inaugural Florida Musical Theatre Intensive
SOME OF THE SUNSHINE STATE’S BEST PERFORMERS ARE BRINGING WEST SIDE STORY TO CENTRAL FLORIDA MUSICAL THEATER. STUDENTS FROM ACROSS OUR STATE ARE POURING HOURS OF HARD WORK, TALENT, AND DEDICATION INTO THEIR CRAFT. IT’S ALL PART OF THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INAUGURAL MUSICAL THEATER INTENSIVE. AND LOOK AT THOSE YOUNG ARTISTS. THEY ARE DOING THEIR THING. DAYS AWAY FROM TURNING ALL THAT TRAINING INTO A FULL SCALE PRODUCTION. YEAH, WE’RE GOING TO SEE THE CLASSICAL MUSICAL WEST SIDE STORY ON STAGE HERE WITH ME NOW, THE SHOW’S DIRECTOR. TONY, GREAT TO SEE YOU, TONY. NICE TO SEE YOU TOO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. YEAH. AND I MEAN, FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU’VE GOT A LONG STORIED HISTORY THERE AT UF. SO YOU ARE YOU’RE BRINGING DECADES OF EXPERIENCE TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. YES. IT’S BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, BECAUSE I WORK WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS, BUT THESE STUDENTS ARE REALLY SOME OF THE VERY, VERY BEST. AND WHEN I HEARD THAT WE HAD TO DO WEST SIDE STORY IN FOUR DAYS BEFORE OUR DESIGNER TECH, I SAID, WHAT. AND BECAUSE WE LITERALLY CAST THE SHOW ON SUNDAY AND STARTED REHEARSALS ON MONDAY, AND THE ACTORS LITERALLY GOT THE LINES. AND IN FOUR DAYS THEY WERE READY TO GO. AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE HOW FAST THEY PICKED UP. SO AND WE’RE TALKING NOT JUST LINES, SONGS. SO THEY’VE GOT TO LEARN ALL THE CHOREOGRAPHY, CHOREOGRAPHY, FIGHTING, BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF A LOT OF VIOLENCE AND FIGHTING AND KNIFE, YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY. BUT YEAH, IT’S IT’S, IT’S A VERY, VERY INTENSE SHOW. IT’S ONE OF THE HARDEST SHOWS TO MOUNT AND TO DO. AND THESE STUDENTS ARE BRINGING IT LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. NOT TO MENTION THE, THE SETS, THE COSTUMES ARE ALL REALLY BEAUTIFUL IN THE THEATER NOW. SO IT’S ALL COMING TOGETHER. YEAH, WE, WE WILL TELL YOU JUST A MOMENT ABOUT HOW YOU CAN COME ARE ABOUT TO START ANOTHER DAY OF REHEARSALS HERE IN TEN MINUTES. IS THIS THE FINAL DAY? NO, WE OPEN ON FRIDAY. OKAY. SO YOU HAVE WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE DAYS TO FINISH TECHING AND DRESS REHEARSALS AND ALL THE FINE TUNING THAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR A BIG MUSICAL. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. AND YOU KNOW, THIS TALENT THAT WE SEE ACROSS THE SUNSHINE STATE, YOU THERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA? YES, BUT THESE ARE HIGH SCHOOLERS. AND SOMETIMES YOU SEE THIS TALENT. YOU GO, YOU HAVE THE SOUL OF A, YOU KNOW, A PERFORMER WHO’S BEEN DOING IT FOR DECADES. YEAH. THEY THEY REALLY ARE BRINGING PROFESSIONAL STATUS TO WHAT THEY’RE DOING AS FAR AS LIKE HOW DEDICATED THEY ARE, HOW QUICKLY THEY PICK UP. SO I’VE BEEN REALLY IMPRESSED. THEY HAD SO MANY PEOPLE AUDITION FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND THEY SELECTED ONLY THE VERY BEST, I THINK, AND I THINK THAT WHAT THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER IS DOING BY GIVING THESE STUDENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY AS A PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM IS SOME OF THE BEST, BECAUSE THERE’S MANY TRAINING PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT NONE LIKE THIS. AND I THINK WHAT DOCTOR PHILLIPS IS DOING WITH THE EDUCATION CENTER IS THAT THEY’RE DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM TO GIVE THE STUDENTS THIS PROFESSIONAL QUALITY PRODUCTION WITH PROFESSIONAL DESIGNERS, CHOREOGRAPHERS, DIRECTORS IN THIS GORGEOUS THEATER. AND THE STEINMETZ, WHICH IS JUST SO GLORIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL. THERE’S NOT A MORE BEAUTIFUL THEATER TO BE IN. ACTUALLY, I SAID LAST NIGHT, I SAID, LOOK AT HOW GLORIOUS THIS SPACE IS. IT’S REALLY BEAUTIFUL. AND WE ARE TALKING THREE PERFORMANCES OVER TWO DAYS RIGHT THERE. YEAH. STEINMETZ. YES. THE ACOUSTICS ARE AMAZING. IT’S BEAUTIFUL. AS YOU SAID, IT COULDN’T BE A BETTER VENUE. AND THEN YOU STARTED WORKING WITH THEM. AND IN SUCH A SHORT TIME, HAVE YOU EVEN SEEN GROWTH FROM FROM WHERE THEY BEGAN ON THIS JOURNEY? I THE GROWTH IS EVERY DAY I SEE MORE GROWTH AND I’M I’M ASTONISHED AGAIN AT HOW QUICKLY THEY PICKED UP THE DIALOG, THE CHOREOGRAPHY, THE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY, THE CUES. I MEAN, THEY THEY REALLY ARE WORKING AT A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL FOR BEING 16 AND 15 YEAR OLDS. YOU SEE THEM ON STAGE AND YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THAT’S WHAT THEY ARE BECAUSE THEY’RE SO INCREDIBLY GOOD AND TALENTED. SO BUT THE TEAM IS INCREDIBLE THE WAY EVERYTHING IS RUN AT DOCTOR PHILLIPS, IT’S FIRST CLASS, FIRST RATE ALL THE WAY. SO IT’S MY HONOR TO BE A PART OF THIS INAUGURATION. AND AND AND BE INVOLVED WITH THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS, THIS TALENT. YEAH. THAT CAN SOMETIMES BECOME FEEDERS FOR SO MANY MUSICAL THEATER PROGRAMS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AND IN FLORIDA SPECIFICALLY. YEAH. AND, AND WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO COME OUT. ABSOLUTELY. TICKETS ARE ON SALE RIGHT NOW, AND YOU WANT TO FILL ALL THOSE SEATS? YEAH, WE ABSOLUTELY DO. SO PLEASE GO TO DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER.ORG. AND AND GET YOUR TICKETS. PLEASE, PLEASE TONY MAKE IT SUPER EASY. WE ALSO POST THE LINK ON WESH.COM. SO YEAH, YOU CAN JUST FIND THIS STORY RIGHT THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU’RE DOING HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA THERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. CONTINUED SUCCESS. OKAY.
Florida musical theatre students prepare to bring “West Side Story” to life at Dr. Phillips Center
High school students from across Florida are preparing for three performances of “West Side Story” at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as part of its inaugural Florida Musical Theatre Intensive
Updated: 9:36 AM EDT Jun 24, 2026
Musical theatre students from across Florida are working tirelessly to stage “West Side Story” at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando as part of its inaugural musical theatre intensive. Tony Mata, the show’s director and head of musical theatre at the University of Florida, explained the program’s purpose. Mata, who has worked around the world, shared his observations on the high school students’ progress, tremendous talent and dynamic stage presence. The production will feature three performances between Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27, in Steinmetz Hall. Show times vary. Tickets for the performances are on sale. Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Musical theatre students from across Florida are working tirelessly to stage “West Side Story” at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando as part of its inaugural musical theatre intensive.
Tony Mata, the show’s director and head of musical theatre at the University of Florida, explained the program’s purpose.
Mata, who has worked around the world, shared his observations on the high school students’ progress, tremendous talent and dynamic stage presence.
The production will feature three performances between Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27, in Steinmetz Hall. Show times vary.
Tickets for the performances are on sale.
Click here to learn more.