West Side Story tells the tale of a love affair between Tony, who is Polish American, and Maria, a Puerto Rican, set against an urban background of interracial warfare . With its gritty story and volatile dance sequences, West Side Story was the antithesis of traditional American musicals.
What was the goal of West Side Story?
When it was conceived in 1949, the goal for the “Romeo” project, as “West Side Story” was then called, was to make each component of the budding work a star of its own: the music, the choreography, and the linguistics working together to drive the daring plot forward .
What is the message of West Side Story?
West Side Story proves that the consequences of racial/ethnic/cultural hatred, gang violence , gratuitous violence in general, and general arrogance and hubris, and being constantly puffed-up with pride can be, and often are, quite deleterious, not only to the victim(s), but to the perpetrator(s) alike.
Why is West Side Story West Side Story?
The simple answer to this question is that the west side in West Side Story is the west side of Manhattan. “At the time. that was kind of a dangerous neighborhood full of gangs ,” said musical expert Steven Suskin. ... Bernstein suggested they could set the musical in L.A. and use Latin-tinged music.
How was West Side Story created?
West Side Story was originally East Side Story.
They planned to stage the conflict between rival Catholic and Jewish groups . ... Laurents then presented the idea of changing the conflict to involve Puerto-Rican versus white gangs on the then-grungy Upper West Side of Manhattan. All at once, the project took off.
How old is Maria in West Side Story?
That will make her 19-years-old at the time of West Side Story's release. Although it's never explicitly stated, some fans expect that the characters Maria and Tony are around the same age.
Who kills Tony in West Side Story?
Tony dies in Maria's arms, surrounded by members of both street gangs. Maria grabs Chino's gun and tells the gang members that they are all responsible for the deaths of Riff, Bernardo, and Tony. The police arrive and arrest Chino while members of the Jets and the Sharks carry Tony's body away.
Did Tony and Maria sleep together?
Even though Maria and Tony sleep together , their relationship is constantly surrounded by dreamy words of love, commitment and wedding imagery. ... Later, in “A Boy Like That,” Anita warns Maria to stay away from him as he “wants one thing only” and “he'll kill her love”, like he murdered hers.
Why was West Side Story so successful?
Arguably, its greatest influence was in the theatricality of its presentation —the seamlessness and cinematic flow of its staging—and the integration of script, song, dance, and set. In its original Broadway run, West Side Story ran for 732 performances—a success, but not a smash hit.
How do Tony and Maria meet in West Side Story?
The boys and the girls sing about the good bad things about life in America. Tony meets Maria on the fire escape outside her building , and they confirm what we all suspected: they've got it for each other bad. They know they're on opposite sides of this fight, but they don't care. Love will do that to you.
Do they speak in West Side Story?
They don't speak the same language .” With music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins, West Side Story had its world premiere at the very same theater where this Broadway-bound revival opens — the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Is West Side Story on Netflix 2020?
Sorry, West Side Story is not available on American Netflix .
Is West Side Story Based on a true story?
West Side Story is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet . The story is set in the mid 1950s in the Upper West Side of New York City, then a multiracial, blue-collar neighborhood.
Where was the first performance of West Side Story?
West Side Story began its out of town performances at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. on August 19, 1957. After a two-week run at Philadelphia's Erlanger Theatre, the show opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 26, 1957.
Why did Arthur Laurents write West Side Story?
As conceived by Robbins and Bernstein, West Side Story was to transpose Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to a tale of warring Catholics and Jews in New York (with the title East Side Story), but Laurents persuaded them that it would have more originality if based on the experience of Puerto Ricans in the city .
