Evy Ortiz and Ross Lekites Set to Play Maria and Tony in West Side Story National Tour

The Sharks and the Jets just made new recruits. West Side Story will welcome Ross Lekites and Evy Ortiz as the new Tony and Maria in the national tour of the Broadway revival, which is in its second year. The new pair of star-crossed lovers, who are replacing Kyle Harris and Broadway vet Ali Ewoldt, will begin performances October 4 in Dallas, Texas.

Lekites has been seen in the national tour of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and as the title character in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on tour. Ortiz played both Luisa and the Mute in The Fantasticks off-Broadway.

Also joining the tour is Christopher Rice, who is replacing Grant Gustin in the role of Baby John. As we previously reported, Gustin was cast in buzzed-about new role on Glee, in which he will play a Dalton Academy Warbler with his sights set on busting up the relationship of Kurt and Blaine, played by Chris Colfer and Darren Criss.

The cast also includes Michelle Aravena as Anita and German Santiago as Bernardo. The production of the Tony-nominated revival features direction by Arthur Laurents, who also wrote the book, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.