[35] David Holliday, who had been playing Gladhand since the London opening, took over as Tony. Then the Sharks and Jets plan a rumble under the highway--whoever wins gains control of the streets. Super Panavision's aspect ratio is not as wide as Cinemascope's 2.35:1, and every square inch of screen space was used for one or another important element of composition.Bernstein's music is a tour de force. Getting the work on stage was still not easy. It consists of nine movements: Prologue (Allegro Moderato), "Somewhere" (Adagio), Scherzo (Vivace e Leggiero), Mambo (Meno Presto), Cha-Cha (Andantino Con Grazia), Meeting Scene (Meno Mosso), "Cool" Fugue (Allegretto), Rumble (Molto Allegro), Finale (Adagio). As a result, by opening night on Broadway, none of his collaborators were talking to him. When Bernardo pushes Tony, Riff punches him in Tony's defense. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Robbins then announced he did not want to choreograph the show, but changed his mind when Prince agreed to an eight-week dance rehearsal period (instead of the customary four), since there was to be more dancing in West Side Story than in any previous Broadway show,[16] and allowed Robbins to hire Peter Gennaro as his assistant. [37], A UK national tour started in 1997 and starred David Habbin as Tony, Katie Knight Adams as Maria and Anna-Jane Casey as Anita. Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy. As seen in West Side Story, the Broadway musical is a collaborative medium which involves the librettist, composer, lyricist, director, and choreographer how to best convey the story they wish to tell. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Drama. Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer star in this classic musical retelling of 'Romeo and Juliet' set among New York's warring gangs. [17], The show was nearly complete in the fall of 1956, but almost everyone on the creative team needed to fulfill other commitments first. However, she is unable to bring herself to fire the gun and drops it, crying in grief. Frustrated, Schrank threatens to beat the crap out of the Jets unless they make nice. A Broadway revival opened at the Minskoff Theatre on February 14, 1980 and closed on November 30, 1980, after 333 performances. Maria and Tony begin meeting in secret, planning to run away. Another On The town is, of course, 15 years or so older than West side Story, but a comparison between the two scores is chalk and cheese. Tony, Maria, Anita, Bernardo and the Sharks, and Riff and the Jets all anticipate the events to come that night ("Tonight Quintet"). The original orchestra consisted of 31 players: a large Broadway pit orchestra enhanced to include 5 percussionists, a guitarist and a piano/celesta player.[87]. Robbins demanded and received a "Conceived by" credit, and used it to justify his making major decisions regarding changes in the show without consulting the others. It goes terribly wrong, and before the lovers know what's happened, tragedy strikes and doesn't stop until the climactic and heartbreaking ending. Chino brings the news that Tony has killed Bernardo, then leaves. The cast featured Don McKay (Tony), Julia Migenes (Maria) and Luba Lisa (Anita). [83] One writer noted: "The story appealed to society's undercurrent of rebellion from authority that surfaced in 1950s films like Rebel Without a Cause. As the walls of Maria's bedroom disappear, they find themselves in a dreamlike world of peace ("Somewhere"). [81], The creators' innovations in dance, music and theatrical style drew enthusiastic reactions from the critics. The writer concluded: "On the cusp of the 1960s, American society, still recovering from the enormous upheaval of World War II, was seeking stability and control. [18] When a backers' audition failed to raise any money for West Side Story late in the spring of 1957, only two months before the show was to begin rehearsals, producer Cheryl Crawford pulled out of the project. The Jets, Sharks, and adults flock around the lovers. Title: Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then. You can view additional information about each West Side Story actor on … The play was criticized for glamorizing gangs, and its portrayal of Puerto Ricans and lack of authentic Latin casting were weaknesses. When the knives come out, and bodies begin to fly wildly through space under buttermilk clouds, the sheer visual excitement is breathtaking .... Mr. Bernstein has permitted himself a few moments of graceful, lingering melody: in a yearning "Maria", in the hushed falling line of "Tonight", in the wistful declaration of "I Have a Love". On September 26, 1957, West Side Story, composed by Leonard Bernstein, opens at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway.For the groundbreaking musical, … Riedel, Michael. Bernstein's score for the musical includes "Jet Song", "Something's Coming", "Maria", "Tonight", "America", "Cool", "One Hand, One Heart", "I Feel Pretty", "Somewhere", "Gee, Officer Krupke" and "A Boy Like That". Some were wonderful singers but couldn't dance very well, or vice versa ... and if they could do both, they couldn't act. [110], This article is about the stage musical. West Side Story - America Lyrics. [70], The original Australian production opened in October 1960 at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, before touring to the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney in February 1961. Two of the Jets, A-Rab and Baby John, are set on by Officer Krupke, but they manage to escape him. West Side Story cast list, listed alphabetically with photos when available. The ball is intercepted by Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, Bernardo drops the ball, Riff picks it up, 20th Century Studios Hires Four New Creative Execs Under President Steve Asbell (Exclusive), Lynn Stalmaster, Legendary Casting Director, Dies at 93, Everything Coming to Netflix in June 2020, Editors' Picks: Our Favorite Things From the Week of Jan. 28, Movies in AFI's Top 100 but Not IMDb Top 250. [16] Columbia Records initially declined to record the cast album, saying the score was too depressing and too difficult. The set consists mostly of large screens featuring video, several cast members carry iPhones, and the Jets are not all white. The feuding families become two warring New York City gangs--the white Jets led by Riff and the Latino Sharks, led by Bernardo. Angry at the death of another friend, the Jets move towards the Sharks but Maria takes Chino's gun and tells everyone that "all of [them]" killed Tony and the others because of their hate for each other, and, "Now I can kill too, because now I have hate!" The Sharks arrive to discuss weapons to use in the rumble. Riff wants to convince his best friend and former member of the Jets, Tony, to meet the Jets at the dance. [80], A Japanese production ran from November 2019 to January 2020, at the IHI Stage Around Tokyo, featuring a double-cast with Mamoru Miyano and Shouta Aoi as Tony, and Kii Kitano and Rena Sasamoto as Maria. [32] The other notable cast members in the original production were: Riff: Michael Callan, A-Rab: Tony Mordente, Big Deal: Martin Charnin, Gee-Tar: Tommy Abbott, Chino: Jamie Sanchez, Rosalia: Marilyn Cooper, Consuela [sic]: Reri Grist, Doc: Art Smith and Francisca: Elizabeth Taylor. [77] A French language adaptation, translated by Philippe Gobeille, opened in Montreal, Quebec, in March 2008. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Though Bernardo taunts and provokes Tony, ridiculing his attempt to make peace, Tony keeps his composure. Contrary to rumor, Sondheim did not write music for the show; his only contribution came on "Something's Coming", where he developed the main strain of the chorus from music Bernstein wrote for the verse.[28]. There was no caution here to frame the action for possible television cropping, or even much consideration given to a 2.35:1 "Cinemascope" presentation. Sondheim auditioned by playing the score for Saturday Night, his musical that was scheduled to open in the fall. Riff and Bernardo agree to meet for a War Council at Doc's, a drug store which is considered neutral ground, but meanwhile, an infatuated and happy Tony finds Maria's building and serenades her outside her bedroom ("Maria"). The other reviews generally joined in speculation about how the new work would influence the course of musical theater. Weary of the conventions of Parisian society, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training enjoy a platonic friendship which may not stay platonic for long. Based on a Conception of JEROME ROBBINS. The American theatre took a venturesome forward step when the firm of Griffith & Prince presented West Side Story at the Winter Garden last evening. They plan to run away together. Both de Guzman and Allen received Tony Award nominations as Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and the musical was nominated as Best Reproduction (Play or Musical). Watch it on a big screen if you can. [59] The original balletic, finger snapping choreography is replaced by swaggering, hip-hop and latin-influenced dancing. Anita makes Maria a dress to wear to the neighborhood dance. Doc arrives and stops them. [15] Tony and Maria's duet, "One Hand, One Heart", was originally intended for Cunegonde in Candide. [56], This production cuts the song "I Feel Pretty" and trims the already short book to end the show at one hour and forty-five minutes (with no intermission). [47] Direction and choreography were reproduced by Lee Theodore, and scenery was by Oliver Smith. West Side Story. Music by When Tony arrives, Maria insists that he must stop the fight altogether, which he agrees to do. Prince, aware that Abbott was the primary reason New Girl was in trouble, decided to ignore him, and he and his producing partner Robert Griffith flew to New York to hear the score. Maria sends Tony to stop it, hoping it can end the violence. Feeling there is no longer anything to live for, Tony leaves to find Chino, begging for him to shoot him as well. They dance together, forgetting the tension in the room, and fall in love, but Bernardo pulls his sister from Tony and sends her home. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. You could tell that Bernstein was holding himself back in On The Town. Tony tells Doc about Maria. It goes terribly wrong, and before the lovers know what's happened, tragedy strikes and doesn't stop until the climactic and heartbreaking ending. It seems odd that it was nominated for Best Picture but as a musical it received no Best Song nominations. The soundtrack of the West Side Story film is deservedly one of the most popular soundtrack recordings of all time, and one of the relatively few to have attained long-term popularity beyond a specialized soundtrack/theatrical musical audience. West Side Story Overview - The BEST Broadway source for West Side Story tickets and West Side Story information, photos and videos. Prince refused to spend money on new construction, and Smith was obliged to improve what he had as best he could with very little money to do it. Anybodys arrives and tells the Jets that she has been spying on the Puerto Ricans; she has discovered that Chino has a gun and is looking for Tony. Detective Schrank, the senior cop on the beat, tries to get the Jets to tell him which Puerto Ricans are starting trouble in the neighborhood, as he claims he is on their side. The title was changed to West Side Story when the creators realized that gang warfare in New York had moved from the East Side to the West. [65], A national tour, directed by Alan Johnson, was produced in 2002. "[85] Among the social themes explored in the musical are "bigotry, cultural misunderstanding and the social failure to fully integrate and empower young people in constructive ways".[85]. Certificate: Passed [108][109], From 1973 to 2004, Wild Side Story, a camp parody musical, based loosely on West Side Story and adapting parts of the musical's music and lyrics, was performed a total of more than 500 times in Miami Beach, Florida, Stockholm, Gran Canaria and Los Angeles. Anita is furious, and in anger spitefully delivers the wrong message, telling the Jets that Chino has shot Maria dead. Juvenile delinquency is seen as an ailment of society: "No one wants a fella with a social disease!" [39] The original scenic, lighting, and costume designs were used. A female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them. With the help of Oscar Hammerstein, Laurents convinced Bernstein and Sondheim to move "One Hand, One Heart", which he considered too pristine for the balcony scene, to the scene set in the bridal shop, and as a result "Tonight" was written to replace it. Book by Arthur Laurents. While in Hollywood, he contacted Bernstein, who was in town conducting at the Hollywood Bowl. Bernstein wanted to present the material in operatic form, but Robbins and Laurents resisted the suggestion. Maria has just arrived from Puerto Rico for her arranged marriage to Chino, a friend of Bernardo's. The translations are by Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. [94] The soundtrack album won a Grammy Award and was ranked No. Maria is young and innocent and has never known love—until Tony. The musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics. It premiered in September of 1957 in New York and was made into a movie in the 1960s. Tony is convinced that something important is round the corner ("Something's Coming"). The production subsequently toured the UK for a second time.[38]. West Side Story tells a story of how Tony (a polish America who used to lead the local gang, the jets) and Maria (a Puerto Rican teen part of the rivaling gang) find love despite their backgrounds and public opinions. Just as Romeo and Juliet are born to rival families, Tony and Maria are associated with rival gangs. Typical was John Chapman's review in the New York Daily News on September 27, 1957, headed: "West Side Story a Splendid and Super-Modern Musical Drama". 18 wins & 10 nominations. With Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn. 85–92: 'Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal: Orchestrating the Show', Learn how and when to remove this template message, Grammy Award for Best Sound Track Album or Recording of Original Cast from Motion Picture or Television, Best Jazz Performance – Large Group (Instrumental), Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, Robert Flaherty Documentary Award (Television), Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role in a Musical, "Excerpts from Bernstein's West Side Log, see 1949 and 1955", "Leonard Bernstein by Humphrey Burton, Chapter 26", "West Side Story: 'We were all very young, "Dharon E. Jones Set to Take Over as Riff in West Side Story on Broadway", "'West Side Story' London Production, 1958", albemarle-london "Archive Page, 'West Side Story'", "Broadway s'addice ai «guerrieri della notte»", "A Song Like That: Collaborators Reconsider Spanish Lyrics in 'West Side Story'", "Cavenaugh, Scaglione, Olivo, Green and Akram to Lead Cast of 'West Side Story' Revival", "Billy Elliot, Norman Conquests, Hair, God of Carnage Are Tony Award Winners", "Nominations for 2009 Tony Awards Announced; Billy Elliot Earns 15 Nominations", "Gee, Officer Krupke, I Need Those Violins", "Broadway's 'West Side Story' Postpones Opening Night Following Leading Man's Onstage Knee Injury", "West Side Story Will Return to Broadway, Directed by Ivo van Hove", "Broadway League Extends Shutdown Until June 2021", "Theater Review; 'West Side Story': Staging At Its Best", Information from the WestSideStory.com "2002, " 'West Side Story' National Tour to Launch in October", "Grammy Award-Winning Smash Hit 'West Side Story' Launches National Tour at Detroit's Fisher Theatre", " 'West Side Story' 50th Anniversary Production", Information about the translation (in French only), Marco Zunino y Rossana Fernández Maldonado protagonizan Amor sin barreras, "Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts – 1985", "Release of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story Movie Delayed Nearly a Year", "West Side Story: High school student cast as Maria in Spielberg remake", "PBreaking: 2020 Drama Desk Awards Nominations- The Full List! He plans to make the challenge to Bernardo, the Sharks' leader, that night at the neighborhood dance. An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. [53] The revival sold 1,074,462 tickets on Broadway over the course of nearly two years[54] and was a financial success. Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. When the police leave, the Jets bemoan the Sharks coming onto their turf. [103][104], In film, Pixar animator Aaron Hartline used the first meeting between Tony and Maria as inspiration for the moment when Ken meets Barbie in Toy Story 3. [20] In his memoirs, Prince recalled, "Sondheim and Bernstein sat at the piano playing through the music, and soon I was singing along with them."[16]. The Jets' leader, Riff, suggests setting up a rumble with the Sharks. [23] Robbins wanted a gritty realism from his sneaker- and jeans-clad cast. The next day, Maria is in a very happy mood at the bridal shop, as she anticipates seeing Tony again, but she is dismayed when she learns about the upcoming rumble from Anita. Anonymous. It starred Ken Marshall as Tony, Josie de Guzman as Maria and Debbie Allen as Anita. In my case I watched it using a video projector throwing the image, big, bright and beautiful, onto a 12 foot screen. Laurents felt that the building tension needed to be alleviated in order to increase the impact of the play's tragic outcome, so comic relief in the form of Officer Krupke was added to the second act. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Maria is a Puerto Rican migrant. This list of West Side Story actors includes any West Side Story actresses and all other actors from the film. It is fascinatingly tricky and melodically beguiling, and it marks the progression of an admirable composer ... Time magazine found the dance and gang warfare more compelling than the love story and noted that the show's "putting choreography foremost, may prove a milestone in musical-drama history". An amazing omission on my part, as having seen it, I just think it's simply wonderful.I bought the DVD "on spec" in a CD/DVD exchange store in Sydney for $10. Other notable cast members included Suzuko Mimori as Anita, Ryuji Kamiyama as Riff, and Masataka Nakagauchi as Bernardo. Wherever possible in the show, we have tried to heighten emotion or to articulate inarticulate adolescence through music, song or dance. We take a first look at Steven Spielberg’s remake WEST SIDE STORY, coming out Dec. 10, 2021 (2020, COVID delayed). West Side Story is the award-winning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". [102] In the third season of the series Glee, three episodes feature characters auditioning, rehearsing and performing a school production of West Side Story. [64] A 1987 U.S. tour starred Jack Wagner as Tony, with Valarie Pettiford as Anita and was directed by Alan Johnson. [citation needed], A 2000 Hong Kong production had Cantonese lyrics and featured Hong Kong rock star Paul Wong as Tony. A live, semi-staged 2013 recording by the San Francisco Symphony under Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, featuring Cheyenne Jackson, This page was last edited on 8 April 2021, at 03:54. After tryouts in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia beginning in August 1957, the original Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 26, 1957,[31] to positive reviews. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won ten, including George Chakiris for Supporting Actor, Rita Moreno for Supporting Actress, and Best Picture. [5], There were problems with Oliver Smith's designs. They are warned by police officers Krupke and Lt. Schrank to stop fighting on their beat. Robbins directed and choreographed, and it was co-choreographed by Peter Gennaro, with scenery by Oliver Smith. Maria counters by telling Anita how powerful love is ("I Have a Love"), and Anita realizes that Maria loves Tony as much as she had loved Bernardo. [22], Throughout the rehearsal period, the New York newspapers were filled with articles about gang warfare, keeping the show's plot timely. The suite is included as bonus tracks on the 1957 original Broadway cast recording. Laurents asked Sondheim if he would be interested in tackling the task. Conceived in 1949, West Side Story has a serious message that pleads for racial tolerance, delivered in unforgettable song and dance. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding. [32] Robbins won the Tony Award for Best Choreographer, and Oliver Smith won the Tony for Best Scenic Designer. [84] Yet, the same writer commented, the song "America" shows the triumph of the spirit over the obstacles often faced by immigrants. ... Robbins' energetic choreography and Bernstein's grand score accentuated the satiric, hard-edged lyrics of Sondheim, and Laurents' capture of the angry voice of urban youth. The girl has survived the Holocaust and emigrated from Israel; the conflict was to be centered around anti-Semitism of the Catholic "Jets" towards the Jewish "Emeralds" (a name that made its way into the script as a reference). Top 10 Best West Side Story Songs // Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/c/MsMojo?sub_confirmation=1These songs will make you … Laurents stated, "The musical theatre and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters to have authenticity. It was staged at the outdoor plaza of Hong Kong Cultural Centre. [24] As the rehearsals wore on, Bernstein fought to keep his score together, as other members of the team called on him to cut out more and more of the sweeping or complex "operatic" passages. Some of the Jets are unsure of his loyalty, but Riff is adamant that Tony is still one of them ("Jet Song"). To cheer themselves up, they lampoon Krupke and the other adults who don't understand them ("Gee, Officer Krupke"). Director, choreographer, and idea-man Jerome Robbins has put together, and then blasted apart, the most savage, restless, electrifying dance patterns we've been exposed to in a dozen seasons .... the show rides with a catastrophic roar over the spider-web fire-escapes, the shadowed trestles, and the plain dirt battlegrounds of a big city feud ... there is fresh excitement in the next debacle, and the next. West Side Story, theatre music by American composer Leonard Bernstein that premiered August 19, 1957, in Washington, D.C., before moving to Broadway for a second opening on September 26, 1957. The members of the Sharks, from Puerto Rico, are taunted by the Jets, a white gang. In spite of her attempts to conceal it, Anita sees that Tony has been with Maria, and launches an angry tirade against him ("A Boy Like That"). [44][45][46] In August 2009, some of the lyrics for "A Boy Like That" ("Un Hombre Asi") and "I Feel Pretty" ("Me Siento Hermosa"), which were previously sung in Spanish in the revival, were changed back to the original English. In [the score], there is the drive, the bounce, the restlessness and the sweetness of our town. The story is set in the mid 1950s in the Upper West Side of New York City, a multiracial, blue-collar neighborhood. The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in musical theatre. Tony suggests "a fair fight" (fists only), which the leaders agree to, despite the other members' protests. West Side Story opened at New York's Winter Garden Theater on September 26, 1957, and has remained in the repertory ever since. Far less well known is the fact that Shakespeare based his play (1594) on other material, particularly a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke entitled The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562). West Side Story is the award-winning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". [74] An international tour (2005–2010), directed and choreographed by Joey McKneely played in Tokyo, Paris, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, São Paulo, France, Taiwan, China, Italy, Rotterdam and Spain. [25] The pre-Broadway run in Washington, D.C. was a critical and commercial success, although none of the reviews mentioned Sondheim, listed as co-lyricist, who was overshadowed by the better-known Bernstein. I played West Side Story loud, very loud. But when Riff's best friend (and former Jet) Tony and Bernardo's younger sister Maria meet at a dance, no one can do anything to stop their love. But when Riff's best friend (and former Jet) Tony and Bernardo's younger sister Maria meet at a dance, no one can do anything to stop their love. [69], The musical has also been adapted to be performed as Deaf Side Story using both English and American Sign Language, with deaf Sharks and hearing Jets. [citation needed], Staatstheater Nürnberg staged a production in Germany from 1972 in a German translation by Marcel Prawy, starring Barry Hanner as Tony and Glenda Glayzer as Maria. Riff meets Tony while he's working at Doc's Drugstore to persuade him to come. Maria holds Tony in her arms (and sings a quiet, brief reprise of "Somewhere") as he dies. They described the project as "lyric theater", and Laurents wrote a first draft he called East Side Story. [52] The production closed on January 2, 2011 after 748 performances and 27 previews.