West Side Story

West Side Story is a musical written by Arthur Laurents (book), Leonard Bernstein (music), and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), and was originally produced, choreographed, and directed by Jerome Robbins. West Side Story debuted on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater on September 26, 1957 and played 732 performances before going on tour - a very successful run for the time. In 1961, it was made into a motion picture and released on October 18 by United Artists, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise. The film won ten Motion Picture Academy Awards including Best Picture, the most Oscars received by any movie musical.

Plot

The story line is a reworking of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with minor variations, set among white and Puerto Rican street gangs in New York City's Upper West Side. Tony and Maria fall in love, despite the fact that they are associated with rival gangs - Tony with the Jets, and Puerto Rican-born Maria with the Sharks. The Sharks are led by Maria's brother, Bernardo, and the Jets by Tony's best friend, Riff. When the gangs arrange a "rumble", Maria pleads with Tony to prevent the fighting, but when Bernardo unintentionally stabs Riff to death, Tony, in a rage, kills Bernardo. He and Maria plan to run away together. Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita, agrees to help, but when she is taunted by the Jets, she invents a story that Maria has been killed by Chino, the man she was supposed to marry. Tony runs out into the street, where he is shot by Chino; in the aftermath of his death, Maria is able to finally bring all the young people together.

Related Topics:
William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet - New York City - Upper West Side - Puerto Rica

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