'West Side Story' Producers Respond to Protests Against Actor Amar Ramasar

Amar Ramasar, who is currently playing the role of Bernardo in Broadway’s West Side Story revival, has been the subject of protests due to sexual harassment allegations that were made against him in 2018. Now, producers are speaking out to explain why he will not be fired from the production

The 38-year-old actor was dismissed from the New York City Ballet in September 2018 after a dancer accused her former boyfriend of exchanging explicit photos of her with Amar and another male dancer without consent.

Amar‘s firing was challenged and it was found that the NYCB overstepped in dismissing him after an investigation was made into the allegations. He rejoined the NYCB after mandatory counseling.

Ever since Amar‘s casting in West Side Story was announced in July 2019, people have been protesting his involvement in the show and there have been protests outside of the theatre in New York City.

Click inside to read the producers’ new statement…

“The West Side Story Company stands, as it always has stood, with Amar Ramasar. While we support the right of assembly enjoyed by the protestors, the alleged incident took place in a different workplace — the New York City Ballet — which has no affiliation of any kind with West Side Story, and the dispute in question has been both fully adjudicated and definitively concluded according to the specific rules of that workplace, as mandated by the union that represents the parties involved in that incident. Mr. Ramasar is a principal dancer in good standing at the New York City Ballet. He is also a member in good standing of both AGMA (representing the company of NYCB) and Actors’ Equity Association (representing the company of West Side Story),” the producers of West Side Story said in a statement to Playbill.

The statement continued, “There is zero consideration being given to his potentially being terminated from this workplace, as there has been no transgression of any kind, ever, in this workplace. The West Side Story Company does not as a practice terminate employees without cause. There is no cause here. The West Side Story Company’s relationship to Mr. Ramasar is completely private to that company and exists solely between Mr. Ramasar and his fellow company members. He is a valued colleague who was hired to play a principal role in this production, which he is doing brilliantly, and which he will continue to do for the entire unabated length of his agreement.”

Opening night for West Side Story is on February 20.