West Side Story
In 1949, Jerome Robbins approached Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents about collaborating on a contemporary musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. He proposed that the plot focus on the conflict between a Catholic family and a Jewish family living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the Easter, Passover season. The girl had survived the Holocaust and emigrated from Israel. The conflict was to be centered on antisemitism of the Catholic Jets towards the Jewish Emeralds. Eager to write his first musical, Laurents immediately agreed. Bernstein wanted to present the material in operatic form, but Robbins and Laurents resisted the suggestion. They described the project as lyric theater, and Laurents wrote a first draft he called East Side Story. Only after he completed it did the group realize it was little more than a musicalization of themes that had already been covered in plays like Abie's Irish Rose. When Robbins opted to drop out, the three men went their separate ways, and the piece was shelved for almost five years.
Two rival teenage gangs struggle for control of the San Juan Hill neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The Jets are white Americans, while the Sharks are Puerto Rican migrants. Police officers Krupke and Lt. Schrank warn them to stop fighting on their beat. The Jets' leader Riff suggests setting up a rumble with the Sharks. He plans to make the challenge to Bernardo, the Sharks' leader, that night at the neighborhood dance. Tony initially refuses to join the gang, but Riff wins him over. Maria works in a bridal shop with Anita, the girlfriend of her brother Bernardo. Maria has just arrived from Puerto Rico for her arranged marriage to Chino, a friend of Bernardo's. At the dance, Tony and Maria see each other across the room and fall in love. They dance together, forgetting the tension in the room. Bernardo pulls his sister from Tony and sends her home. The gangs meet under the highway, and as the fight between Bernardo and Diesel begins, Tony arrives and tries to stop it. Tony kills Bernardo in a fit of rage, which provokes an all-out fight like the Prologue. The sound of approaching police sirens is heard, and everyone scatters except Tony, who stands in shock at what he has done.
Bernstein composed West Side Story and Candide concurrently, which led to some switches of material between the two works. Some of the music Bernstein wrote for West Side Story was later integrated into the Chichester Psalms. Tony and Maria's duet One Hand One Heart was originally intended for Cunegonde in Candide. The music of Gee Officer Krupke was pulled from the Venice scene in Candide. Bernstein's score blends jazz, Latin rhythms, symphonic sweep and musical-comedy conventions in groundbreaking ways for Broadway. It was orchestrated by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal following detailed instructions from Bernstein. The original orchestra consisted of 31 players: a large Broadway pit orchestra enhanced to include five percussionists. In 1960, Bernstein prepared a suite of orchestral music from the show called Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. It consists of nine movements including Prologue Allegro moderato Somewhere Adagio Scherzo Vivace e leggero Mambo Meno presto Cha-Cha Andantino con grazia Meeting Scene Meno mosso Cool Fugue Allegretto Rumble Molto allegro and Finale Adagio. The suite premiered on the 13th of February 1961 at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Lukas Foss.
After tryouts in Washington DC and Philadelphia beginning in August 1957, the original Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 26 to positive reviews. The production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, orchestrated by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal, and produced by Robert E. Griffith and Harold Prince. The cast starred Larry Kert as Tony, Carol Lawrence as Maria, Chita Rivera as Anita and David Winters as Baby John. The other notable cast members included Michael Callan as Riff, Tony Mordente as A-Rab, Martin Charnin as Big Deal, Tommy Abbott as Gee-Tar, Jamie Sanchez as Chino, Marilyn Cooper as Rosalia, Reri Grist as Consuela, Art Smith as Doc and Elizabeth Taylor as Francisca. The production closed on the 27th of June 1959 after 732 performances. Robbins won the Tony Award for Best Choreographer, and Oliver Smith won the Tony for Best Scenic Designer. Also nominated were Carol Lawrence as Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Max Goberman as Best Musical Director and Conductor, and Irene Sharaff for Best Costume Design. Carol Lawrence received the 1958 Theatre World Award.
The 1961 film adaptation of the musical received praise from critics and the public and became the second-highest-grossing film of the year in the United States. The film won ten Academy Awards in its eleven nominated categories including Best Picture. It received the most Academy Awards of any musical film including Best Picture. Rita Moreno as Anita was the first Latina actress ever to win an Oscar. The soundtrack album won a Grammy Award and was ranked No. 1 on the Billboard chart for a record 54 weeks. Differences in the film from the stage version include moving Tonight to follow America and I Feel Pretty to precede the rumble. Diesel is renamed Ice. Gee Officer Krupke is moved before Cool and is sung by Riff instead of Action, and Cool is sung by Ice instead of Riff. After Riff is killed, Ice takes control of the Jets rather than Action. A 2021 film adaptation written by Tony Kushner directed by Steven Spielberg and choreographed by Justin Peck is based more closely on the Broadway musical than the 1961 film. The cast includes Ansel Elgort as Tony newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria Ariana DeBose as Anita and Mike Faist as Riff. Moreno who played Anita in the 1961 film plays Valentina a reconceived and expanded version of the character Doc who serves as a mentor to the teenage characters and sings Somewhere in this version.
A 1958 production at the Manchester Opera House transferred to London where it opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in the West End on December 12 and ran until June 1961 with a total of 1,039 performances. Robbins directed and choreographed, and it was co-choreographed by Peter Gennaro with scenery by Oliver Smith. Featured performers were George Chakiris who won an Academy Award as Bernardo in the 1961 film version as Riff Marlys Watters as Maria Don McKay as Tony and Chita Rivera reprising her Broadway role as Anita. A Broadway revival began previews on the 10th of December 2019 and officially opened on the 20th of February 2020 at the Broadway Theatre. It was directed by Ivo van Hove with choreography by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and produced by Scott Rudin Barry Diller and David Geffen. The cast included Shereen Pimentel as Maria Isaac Cole Powell as Tony Amar Ramasar as Bernardo Thomas Jay Ryan as Lt. Schrank and Yesenia Ayala as Anita. The production cut the song I Feel Pretty and trimmed the book to one hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission. The setting was loosely updated to the present and direction was determined to snuff out any lightness that might temper the full-blown tragedy to come.
Common questions
Who created the musical West Side Story?
West Side Story was created by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents. Jerome Robbins approached Bernstein and Laurents in 1949 to collaborate on a contemporary adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
When did the original Broadway production of West Side Story open?
The original Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on the 26th of September 1957. The production closed on the 27th of June 1959 after running for 732 performances.
What awards did the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story win?
The 1961 film adaptation won ten Academy Awards including Best Picture. Rita Moreno became the first Latina actress ever to win an Oscar for her role as Anita.
How many performances did the 1958 London production of West Side Story run?
The 1958 production transferred to London where it ran until June 1961 with a total of 1,039 performances. It opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in the West End on December 12.
Who directed the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story?
Ivo van Hove directed the Broadway revival that officially opened on the 20th of February 2020. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker provided choreography for this production which was produced by Scott Rudin, Barry Diller, and David Geffen.