After a smash-hit season in 2019, Opera Australia will once again present West Side Story as its Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production for 2024. It has also announced that its partnerships with Dr Haruhisa Handa’s International Foundation for Arts And Culture (IFAC) and Destination NSW have been renewed.

West Side Story, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, 2019. Photo © Prudence Upton

“IFAC is very proud to continue this partnership with Opera Australia, bringing world class performances with the most iconic backdrop of Sydney Harbour to present an unforgettable experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world,” said Dr Handa.

“Our shared vision and commitment to excellence in the performing arts has been the driving force of this enduring and inspiring partnership that has brought transformative musical experiences to thousands of people.”

Featuring music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Arthur Laurents and choreography Jerome Robbins, West Side Story was the first musical staged at Handa...