Acte 1/scène 5

## *#6 - Balcony Scene (Maria, Tony)*

*11:00 P.M.*

*A back alley.*

*(A suggestion of buildings; a fire escape climbing to the rear window of an unseen flat. As Tony sings, he looks for where Maria lives, wishing for her. And she does appear,at the window above him, which opens onto the fire escape. Music stays beneath most of the scene.)*

**TONY** *[sings:]*

Maria, Maria...

**MARIA**

Ssh!

**TONY**

Maria!

**MARIA**

Quiet!

**TONY**

Come down.

**MARIA**

No.

**TONY**

Maria...

**MARIA**

Please. If Bernardo

**TONY**

He's at the dance. Come down.

**MARIA**

He will soon bring Anita home.

**TONY**

Just for a minute.

**MARIA [smiles]**

A minute is not enough.

**TONY [smiles]**

For an hour then.

**MARIA**

I cannot.

**TONY**

Forever!

**MARIA**

Ssh!

**TONY**

Then I'm coming up.

**WOMAN'S VOICE'** *[from the offstage apartment]*

Maria!

**MARIA**

Momentito, Mama...

**TONY** *[climbing up]*

Maria, Maria

**MARIA'**

Cállate!

*[Reaching her hand out to stop him.]*

Ssh!

**TONY** *[grabbing her hand]*

Ssh!

**MARIA**

It is dangerous.

**TONY**

I'm not "one of them."

**MARIA**

You are; but to me, you are not. Just as I am one of them-

*[she gestures toward the apartment.]*

**TONY**

To me, you are all the-

**[She covers his mouth with her hand.]**

**MAN'S VOICE** *[from the unseen apartment]*

Maruca!

**MARIA**

Sí, ya vengo, Papa.

**TONY**

Maruca?

**MARIA**

His pet name for me.

**TONY**

I like him. He will like me.

**MARIA**

No. He is like Bernardo: afraid.

*[Suddenly laughing.]*

Imagine being afraid of you!

**TONY**

You see?

**MARIA** *[touching his face]*

I see you.

**TONY**

See only me.

*(Note : Ne fonctionne pas sur iPad ou sur tout support ne prenant pas en charge le format audio .ogg.)*

**MARIA** *[sings:]*

ONLY YOU, YOU'RE THE ONLY THING I'LL SEE FOREVER.

IN MY EYES, IN MY WORDS AND IN EVERYTHING I DO,

NOTHING ELSE BUT YOU

EVER!

**TONY**

AND THERE'S NOTHING FOR ME BUT MARIA,

EVERY SIGHT THAT I SEE IS MARIA.

**MARIA**

TONY, TONY...

**TONY**

ALWAYS YOU , EVERY THOUGHT I'LL EVER KNOW,

EVERYWHERE I GO, YOU'LL BE.

**MARIA**

ALL THE WORLD IS ONLY YOU AND ME!

*[And now the buildings, the world fade away, leaving them suspended in space.]*

TONIGHT, TONIGHT,

IT ALL BEGAN TONIGHT,

I SAW YOU AND THE WORLD WENT AWAY.

TONIGHT, TONIGHT,

THERE'S ONLY YOU TONIGHT,

WHAT YOU ARE, WHAT YOU DO, WHAT YOU SAY.

**TONY**

TODAY, ALL DAY I HAD THE FEELING

A MIRACLE WOULD HAPPEN

I KNOW NOW I WAS RIGHT.

FOR HERE YOU ARE

AND WHAT WAS JUST A WORLD IS A STAR

TONIGHT!

**BOTH**

TONIGHT, TONIGHT,

THE WORLD IS FULL OF LIGHT,

WITH SUNS AND MOONS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

TONIGHT, TONIGHT,

THE WORLD IS WILD AND BRIGHT,

GOING MAD, SHOOTING STARS INTO SPACE.

TODAY THE WORLD WAS JUST AN ADDRESS,

A PLACE FOR ME TO LIVE IN,

NO BETTER THAN ALL RIGHT,

BUT HERE YOU ARE

AND WHAT WAS JUST A WORLD IS A STAR

TONIGHT

**MAN'S VOICE** *[offstage]*

Maruca!

**MARIA**

Wait for me!

*[She goes inside as the buildings begin to come back into place.]*

**TONY** *[sings]*

TONIGHT, TONIGHT,

IT ALL BEGAN TONIGHT,

I SAW YOU AND THE WORLD WENT AWAY.

**MARIA** *[returning]*

I cannot stay. Go quickly!

**TONY**

I'm not afraid.

**MARIA**

They are strict with me. Please.

**TONY** *[kissing her]*

Good night.

**MARIA**

Buenos noches.

**TONY**

I love you.

**MARIA**

Yes, yes. Hurry.

*[He climbs down.]*

Wait! When will I see you?

*[He starts back up.]*

No!

**TONY**

Tomorrow.

**MARIA**

I work at the bridal shop. Come there.

**TONY**

At sundown.

**MARIA**

Yes. Good night.

**TONY**

Good night.

*[He starts off.]*

**MARIA**

Tony!

**TONY**

Ssh!

**MARIA**

Come to the back door.

**TONY**

Si.

*[Again he starts out.]*

**MARIA**

Tony!

*[He stops. A pause.]*

What does Tony stand for?

**TONY**

Anton.

**MARIA**

Te adoro, Anton.

**TONY**

Te adoro, Maria.

*[Both sing as music starts again:]*

**BOTH**

GOOD NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT,

SLEEP WELL AND WHEN YOU DREAM,

DREAM OF ME

TONIGHT.

*[SHE goes inside; He ducks out into the shadows just as BERNARDO and ANITA enter, followed by INDIO, and PEPE and their GIRLS. One is a bleached-blond, bangled beauty: Consuelo. The other, more quietly dressed, is ROSALIA. She is not too bright.]*

**BERNARDO** *[Looking up to the window.]*

Maria?

**ANITA**

She also has a mother. Also a father.

**BERNARDO**

They do not know the country any better than she does.

**ANITA**

You do not know it all! Girls here are free to have fun. She-isin-America-now.

**BERNARDO** *[exaggerated]*

But Puerto-Rico-is-in-America-now!

**ANITA** *[in disgust]*

Ai!

**BERNARDO** *[cooing]*

Anita Josefina Teresita

**ANITA**

It's plain Anita now

**BERNARDO** *[continuing through]*

-Beatriz del Carmen Margarita, etcetera, etcetera

**ANITA**

Immigrant!

**BERNARDO** *[pulling her to him]*

Thank God, you can't change your hair!

**PEPE** *[fondling Consuelo's bleached mop]*

Is that possible?

**CONSUELO**

In the U.S.A., everything is real.

**BERNARDO** *[to CHINO, who enters]*

Chino, how was she when you took her home?

**CHINO**

All right. 'Nardo, she was only dancing.

**BERNARDO**

With an "American." Who is really a Polack.

**ANITA**

Says the Spic.

**BERNARDO**

You are not so cute.

**ANITA**

That Tony is.

**ROSALIA**

And he works.

**CHINO**

A delivery boy.

**ANITA**

And what are you?

**CHINO**

An assistant.

**BERNARDO**

Sí! And Chino makes half what the Polack makes-the Polack is American!

*[A burlesque oration in mock Puerto Rican accent. Bernardo starts the first line with her.]*

The mother of Tony was born in Poland; the father still goes to a night school. Tony was born in America, so that makes him an American. But us? Foreigners!

**PEPE** and **CONSUELO**

Lice!

**PEPE, CONSUELO, ANITA**

Cockroaches!

**BERNARDO**

Well, it is true! You remember how we were when we first came! Did we even think of going back?

**BERNARDO** and **ANITA**

No! We came ready, eager

**ANITA** *[mocking]*

With our hearts open

**CONSUELO**

Our arms open

**PEPE**

You came with your pants open.

**CONSUELO**

You did, pig!

*[Slaps him.]*

You'll go back with handcuffs!

**BERNARDO**

I am going back with a Cadillac!

**CHINO**

Air-conditioned!

**BERNARDO**

Built-in bar!

**CHINO**

Telephone!

**BERNARDO**

Television!

**CHINO**

Compatible color!

**BERNARDO**

And a king-sized bed.

*[Grabs Anita.]*

Come on.

**ANITA** *[mimicking]*

Come on.

**BERNARDO**

Well, are you or aren't you?

**ANITA**

You have your big, important war council. The council or me?

**BERNARDO**

First one, then the other.

**ANITA** *[breaking away from him]*

I am an American girl now. I don't wait.

**BERNARDO** *[to CHINO]*

Back home, women know their place.

**ANITA**

Back home, little boys don't have war councils.

**BERNARDO**

You want me to be an American?

*[To the boys.]*

Vámonos, chicos, Es

tarde.

*[A mock bow.]*

Buenos noches, Anita Josefina del Carmen, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

*[He exits with the boys.]*

**ROSALIA**

That's a very pretty name: Etcetera.

## *#7 - America (Anita, Rosalia, Shark Girls)*

**ANITA**

Ai!

**CONSUELO**

She means well.

**ROSALIA**

We have many names at home.

**ANITA** *[mimicking]*

At home, at home. If it's so nice "at home," why don't you go back there?

**ROSALIA**

I would like-

*[A look from Anita.]*

-just for a successful visit.

*[She sings nostalgically:]*

*(Note : Ne fonctionne pas sur iPad ou sur tout support ne prenant pas en charge le format audio .ogg.)*

PUERTO RICO...

YOU LOVELY ISLAND...

ISLAND OF TROPICAL BREEZES.

ALWAYS THE PINEAPPLES GROWING,

ALWAYS THE COFFEE BLOSSOMS BLOWING...

**ANITA**

PUERTO RICO...

YOU UGLY ISLAND...

ISLAND OF TROPIC DISEASES.

ALWAYS THE HURRICANES BLOWING,

ALWAYS THE POPULATION GROWING...

AND THE MONEY OWING,

AND THE BABIES CRYING,

AND THE BULLETS FLYING.

I LIKE THE ISLAND MANHATTAN

SMOKE ON YOUR PIPE AND PUT THAT IN!

*[all, except Rosalia:]*

I LIKE TO BE IN AMERICA!

OK BY ME IN AMERICA!

EVERYTHING FREE IN AMERICA

FOR A SMALL FEE IN AMERICA!

**ROSALIA**

I LIKE THE CITY OF SAN JUAN

**ANITA**

I KNOW A BOAT YOU CAN GET ON.

**ROSALIA**

HUNDREDS OF FLOWERS IN FULL BLOOM

**ANITA**

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN EACH ROOM!

*[all except Rosalia:]*

AUTOMOBILE IN AMERICA,

CHROMIUM STEEL IN AMERICA,

WIRE-SPOKE WHEEL IN AMERICA

VERY BIG DEAL IN AMERICA

**ROSALIA**

I'LL DRIVE A BUICK TO SAN JUAN

**ANITA**

IF THERE'S A ROAD YOU CAN DRIVE ON.

**ROSALIA**

I'LL GIVE MY COUSIN A FREE RIDE

**ANITA**

HOW YOU GET ALL OF THEM INSIDE?

*[all except Rosalia:]*

AN IMMIGRANT GOES TO AMERICA,

MANY HELLOS IN AMERICA;

NOBODY KNOWS IN AMERICA

PUERTO RICO'S IN AMERICA.

*[The girls whistle and dace.]*

**ROSALIA**

WHEN WILL I GO BACK TO SAN JUAN

**ANITA**

WHEN YOU WILL SHUT UP AND GET GONE!

**ROSALIA**

I'LL GIVE THEM NEW WASHING MACHINE

**ANITA**

WHAT HAVE THEY GOT THERE TO KEEP CLEAN?

*[all except Rosalia:]*

I LIKE THE SHORES OF AMERICA!

COMFORT IS YOURS IN AMERICA!

KNOBS ON THE DOORS IN AMERICA,

WALL-TO-WALL FLOORS IN AMERICA!

*[They whistle and dance.]*

**ROSALIA**

I'LL BRING TV TO SAN JUAN

**ANITA**

IF THERE'S A CURRENT TO TURN ON.

**ROSALIA**

EVERYONE THERE WILL GET BIG CHEER!

**ANITA**

EVERYONE THERE WILL HAVE MOVED HERE!

*[The song ends in a joyous dance. The Lights Black Out.]*