The San Francisco Symphony performs Leonard Bernstein's complete score live to the digitally remastered 1961 film on Thursday and Friday, July 9–10, at Davies Symphony Hall. Tickets start at $99.
The San Francisco Symphony performs Leonard Bernstein's complete score live to the digitally remastered 1961 West Side Story film on Thursday, July 9, and Friday, July 10, both nights at 7:30 p.m. at Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. Tickets start at $99 through the SF Symphony box office at sfsymphony.org.
Conductor Sarah Hicks — who made her SFS debut in 2009 and serves as principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra — leads the orchestra through the Jets-vs.-Sharks score while the film rolls on a giant screen above the stage. "Maria," "America," "Tonight," "Somewhere": all of it at full concert volume, inside a 2,743-seat hall with near-ideal acoustics. The format is the same one the Symphony has been selling out for years with Harry Potter and Star Wars concerts: the live score fills the room in a way a streaming night simply can't, and Bernstein's brass-heavy gang-fight sequences and full-orchestra climax make West Side Story a particularly good fit. Both performances are part of the Symphony's "Summer with the Symphony" series.
Age policy: Per Davies Symphony Hall's venue-wide rules, children under 3 are not admitted except for designated family programs — this event is not one. The SFS also recommends children be at least 8 for regular orchestral programs. All attendees require their own ticket; children 12 and under must be seated next to an accompanying adult.
Getting there: BART to Civic Center / UN Plaza is the easiest shot — a five-minute walk up Van Ness. Muni lines N Judah, 5 Fulton, 7 Haight, 21, and 22 also serve the area. If you're driving, SFMTA manages event parking at two garages: Performing Arts Garage at 360 Grove St. (directly across from the Grove St. box office entrance) and Civic Center Garage at 355 McAllister St. Reserve in advance at sfmta.com; event-specific rates for July 9–10 had not been posted as of this writing. The box office is at 251 Grove St.; doors open one hour before curtain.
The lobby bar has a summer menu running: lemonade with or without alcohol, dessert specials, and a photo station.
What I'd do: Book Thursday — Friday post-work crowds arrive frantic and leave early. Get there by 7 p.m., grab a drink at the lobby bar, and settle in before the house fills. The score builds hard in the second half; stay through the curtain call.

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