West Side Story (musical)
"West Side Story" is a musical that blends elements of drama, dance, and music to explore themes of love, conflict, and cultural differences. Set in the 1950s, the story revolves around two rival gangs—the Anglo-American "Jets" and the Puerto Rican "Sharks"—and highlights the tensions between their distinct cultural backgrounds. The musical features a score by Leonard Bernstein, renowned for its innovative fusion of jazz and Latin rhythms, creating a rich tapestry of sound that reflects the characters' emotions and struggles.
The cast is composed of young, untrained voices, enhancing the authenticity of the teenagers' experiences, while dance serves as a vital mode of expression for their feelings. "West Side Story" addresses significant social issues such as economic disparity and cultural conflict, making it relevant both in its original context and to contemporary audiences. The iconic musical has seen multiple adaptations, including a notable 1961 film and a 2021 remake directed by Steven Spielberg, which both celebrate its legacy while sparking discussions on representation and cultural sensitivity. Its lasting impact has solidified its status as a landmark in American music and theater, resonating with audiences through its powerful storytelling and memorable score.
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West Side Story (musical)
Identification Broadway musical
Date First performed on August 19, 1957; Broadway premiere on September 26, 1957
Creators Book by Arthur Laurents; directed by Jerome Robbins; music by Leonard Bernstein; lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
As an iconoclastic treatment of the Romeo and Juliet story, West Side Story gave theater audiences some insights into gang violence and race relations in mid-twentieth century New York.
Key Figures
Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990), composerStephen Sondheim (1930–2021), lyricistArthur Laurents (1917–2011), authorJerome Robbins (1918–1998), director
West Side Story served as a dramatic tragedy within the framework of popular entertainment, drawing on all available techniques of contemporary theater and music. The result was an extraordinary amalgam of dance, dialogue, and music, which brought forth mixed reviews from professional critics but enthusiastic acclaim from audiences.
Dance served as the main expressive vehicle for the inarticulate teenagers who starred in the play. The cast included no famous singers because the premise was to represent young voices in their natural, untrained state. The cultural differences between the rival gangs—Anglo-American punks and Puerto Rican immigrants—were expressed through contrasts between jazz and Latin musical and dance rhythms. Leonard Bernstein managed to produce a score that fused music, dance, and drama in a seamless web of intermingled musical materials: one melody often provided the background for another, and one motif (the tritone) permeated the score in many transformations.
Impact
The enduring popularity of the music from West Side Story established it as a landmark in American music and theater. Its virtuoso music and dancing addressed important social issues within a popular medium. The distrust between persons of wealth and poverty, the conflicts between different cultural heritages, and the admission that human affairs do not always end happily are concerns which, however pressing they were during the 1950’s, have marked Western civilization throughout its history.
The 1957 Broadway play sparked two feature-length film adaptations: the 1961 version directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, and the 2021 version directed by Steven Spielberg. The latter film received mostly positive reviews overall, but earned mixed responses from the Puerto Rican community in regards to the movie's Puerto Rican and Latino representation.
Bibliography
Garebian, Keith. The Making of West Side Story. ECW Press, 1995. A chronological exploration of the creative events underlying the musical.
Scott, A. O. "'West Side Story' Review: In Love and War, 1957 Might Be Tonight." Review of West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. The New York Times, 8 Dec. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/movies/west-side-story-review.html. Accessed 31 Jan. 2022.
Williams, Mary E., ed. Readings on “West Side Story.” Greenhaven Press, 2001. Essays addressing the creation, structure, and reception of West Side Story.