Experience West Side Story in Kuala Lumpur - AsiaRooms.com

AsiaRooms.com highlights theatre lovers staying in Kuala Lumpur hotels will not want to miss a performance of classic musical West Side Story during the month of May.

Istana Budaya will play host to the production, which is set to run from May 12th to May 25th and is organised by Malaysia's ministry of tourism.

According to Tourism Malaysia, it is the first time the well-loved American theatre production - which first made its Broadway debut in 1957 - has been performed in the country.

It tipped the performance as "one of the year's biggest and hottest events", anticipating that it will attract theatre and music fans from throughout the region.

West Side Story was made into an Academy Award-winning film starring Natalie Wood in 1961 and is best known for songs such as America, Tonight, I Feel Pretty and Maria.

Set in 1950s-era New York City, the musical is based on William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet and explores the rivalry of two teenage street gangs - the Sharks and the Jets.

It follows the doomed love story between Tony - the co-founder of the Jets - and Maria, the sister of Bernardo who is the leader of the Sharks.