Irvine Barclay Unveils Season : Theater: ‘The Music Man’ and ‘West Side Story,’ as well as a performance by Dizzy Gillespie, will be among the offerings.

IRVINE —  Revivals of two Broadway classics from the ‘50s will launch the 1991-92 musical-theater season at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, while new music and dance offerings include performances by jazz great Dizzy Gillespie and the Maria Benitez Spanish Dance Ensemble.

The Irvine Civic Light Opera will stage “The Music Man” (opening Sept. 19) as the first offering of its second season at the Barclay. The UC Irvine School of Fine Arts will mount “West Side Story” (opening Nov. 23) as the UCI drama department’s first outing at the 756-seat Irvine Barclay, in collaboration with the university’s dance and music departments.

“The Music Man” is about a small-town swindler who comes to River City, Iowa, to sell musical instruments but can’t con the local librarian. It swamped “West Side Story” 8-to-2 in the Tony Award competition for 1957, winning the major awards for best musical and best score among others, and was the more popular show of the two on Broadway.

ICLO artistic director Dan Trevino, who staged the Light Opera’s first season at the Barclay (“Evita” and “Pacific Overtures”), will direct “The Music Man.” The show, with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, is best known for the songs “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Till There Was You” and “Trouble.”

“West Side Story,” about two rival gangs in New York City, is very loosely based on the story of Romeo and Juliet. It is to be directed by Eli Simon in an updated version and staged in collaboration with Donald McKayle, who will reset the show with his choreography instead of the original by Jerome Robbins. (McKayle, who joined the UCI dance faculty in 1989, was in the cast of the Broadway production and also served as its dance captain.) The “West Side Story” music is by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Principal songs include “I Feel Pretty” and “Tonight.”

“We are re-conceiving the show somewhat,” Simon said Monday. “We’re not going to change the score or anything substantial in it. But we are going to give it a modern twist because the gang theme is so relevant now and has changed so much.”

In other disciplines, Gillespie will be in concert on April 10, and Benitez’s company will dance April 16-18.

The full season, most of which has been reported previously, also will include 14 programs sponsored by the Orange County Philharmonic Society (six of which are co-sponsored by the Laguna Beach Music Society); four programs by the Irvine Symphony, five by the Mozart Camerata, five by the Orange County Chamber Orchestra, two by the Irvine Camerata, five by the South Coast Symphony and three programs by Ballet Pacifica.

The new schedule announcements bring to more than 65 the number of events at the theater before the season ends in July.

The 1991-92 theatrical offerings:

* “The Music Man,” presented by the Irvine Civic Light Opera (Sept. 19-22, 25-28).

* Trustees Gala, a benefit presented by IBT to star Betty Buckley (Oct. 12).

* Contemporary Taiwan Theatre, presented by Bravi (Nov. 9).

* “West Side Story” presented by UCI School of Fine Arts (Nov. 23-30).

* Prague Blacklight Theatre, presented by UCI Performing Arts (Jan. 18).

* Children’s Theatre of Minneapolis doing “The Canterbury Ghost,” presented by the Barclay (Jan. 25).

* “Cabaret,” presented by ICLO (Feb. 20-29, 1992).

* Irvine Valley Theatrefaire for Children, program to be announced (March 20-29).

* “A Little Night Music,” presented by ICLO (July 9-18).

Information: (714) 854-4646.