_Segerstrom Center for the Arts' "West Side Story" retains classic charm but lacks energy of Broadway show_

The lights dim on the stage of Segerstrom Hall to reveal a darkened city street. Two gangs of unruly, adolescent boys creep silently into the spotlight and face off in a manner that does not typically happen in a deserted alleyway: ballet.

Korean National Military Symphony concert to commemorate U.S.-Korea relations in Royce Hall

In South Korea, all men aged 20-30 are required to enlist in the military for at least two years. But those who make a career out of performing music are given the chance to continue practicing their passion and honing their artistic talents in a government-assigned military music unit.

Armed with violins and clarinets, the Korean National Military Symphony will perform at Royce Hall on Wednesday night as the formal opening event for the 38th annual Los Angeles Korean Festival.

The concert, which marks the orchestra’s first time ever performing on American soil, will serve to commemorate war veterans who fought to maintain peace in South Korea and provided aid to the country during the Korean War, according to C.