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 (external source, opens in a new tab).

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 (external source, opens in a new tab); 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.