West Side Story (Theatre) - TV Tropes West Side Story You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share "There's a place for us, A time and place for us. Hold my hand and we're halfway there. Hold my hand and I'll take you there Somehow, someday, somewhere!" A 1957 Broadway musical with music composed by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim , and its 1961 film adaptation . A Setting Update adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet . It may seem Older Than Steam , with more than a few elements that you may recognize from other works . It is also a great example of Seinfeld Is Unfunny , with many modern audiences not understanding why it was such a groundbreaking musical in its time. It is recognized as the leader in using dance to further the plot , thanks to Jerome Robbins' choreography, and is also recognized for portraying minority characters (relatively) positively, using vulgar language and slang, and not being a particularly feel-good musical .

Two gangs, one Polish-American (Jets) and the other Puerto Rican (Sharks), are fighting over territory on Manhattan's West Side when Tony, a member of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, the younger sister of the Sharks' leader Bernardo. Unfortunately for the young couple, they happen to fall in love on the very night the two gangs decide to end their feud in one final battle. Tony manages to persuade the two gangs to reduce it to a one-on-one "fair fight", but when Maria tells Tony to stop the fight altogether, his attempt to intervene results in the leader of the Jets, his best friend Riff, getting knifed to death by Bernardo. In a fit of rage, Tony then kills Bernardo in return. Act Two begins with Maria finding out about Bernardo's death from her arranged fiance, Chino, who then vows to kill Tony. Tony turns up and they spend the night together. After we find out what happened to the Jets, we meet up with the lovers. Bernardo's girlfriend Anita shows up, and Tony escapes, with a plan to escape to the country.

Anita, despite hating Tony for killing Bernardo, agrees to tell Tony to stay at the drugstore he works at until Maria arrives. When she gets there however, she is nearly raped by the Jets that have gathered there. In a fit of rage, she says that Maria is dead, killed by Chino. Tony's boss tells Tony this, and he runs out into the street, calling for Chino to 'kill him, too.' Maria and Tony meet each other in the street, but before they can embrace, Chino steps from the shadows and kills Tony. Maria denounces both sides of the conflict for their part in Tony's death, and for how " we all killed him ," not with guns, not with knives, but with hate. Thoroughly heartbroken, the Jets and Sharks together carry out Tony's body. The End . Notable for some of the most famous songs in musical theater, such as "Tonight," "America" and "I Feel Pretty", with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim . The movie adaptation, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins and starring Natalie Wood as Maria, won a whopping 10 Academy Awards , including Best Picture.

This production contains examples of: Accidental Murder : In the fistfight-that-wasn't. Actually Pretty Funny : Riff laughs at Bernardo's request for Lieutenant Shrank to translate his dressing-down into Spanish. Adults Are Useless : It's lampshaded by the stage directions at the end: The adults — DOC, SHRANK, KRUPKE, and GLAD HAND — stand alone, useless. All There in the Manual : The Pocket Books novelization from 1961 gives almost all of the characters last names that were not provided in the play or movie (for example, Maria's last name is Nunez and Tony's is Wyzek). Ambiguously Gay : Anybodys. Although some of her lines could imply she is attracted to men she can be played as a tomboyish young woman, a Butch Lesbian , or a trans boy depending on the production. Angry Mob Song : "Tonight" and the latter half of the "Jet Song". Artistic Title : For the film. A set of abstract graphics, created by Saul Bass, eventually fade into a shot of the Lower Manhattan skyline, followed by a series of overhead aerial shots of NYC streets and buildings.

There's also a five-minute-long Creative Closing Credits sequence, also by Saul Bass, depicting the credits on wall graffiti and street signs. Asshole Victim : Riff and Bernardo could both be seen as this. Attempted Rape : Anita is attacked and nearly raped by the Jets when she heads to Doc's to tell Tony to wait for Maria. This angers her and drives her to hate them badly enough that when Doc returns and stops it, Anita tells them that Chino shot Maria, which sets up the Downer Ending . In the stage production, this may be played as harassment without obvious intention of sexual assault, and Anita gets offended by catcalls rather than an actual attempted rape. Alternatively in the stage production sometimes Doc arrives too late to stop the Jets, and interrupts them in the act. Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop : Shrank's the bad cop, a racist who wants the Sharks run out of town but isn't exactly crazy about the Jets either, and who cares most of all about getting a promotion. Krupke's the incompetent cop, never once doing anything successfully. Ballroom Blitz : Very nearly happens, but the cops break it up. Beta Couple : Bernardo and Anita.

Blond Brunette Redhead : The three Jets girlfriends who dance in "Cool". Bowdlerise : This trope mostly appears in the movie version, as the infamous Hays Code was still in effect, though slightly less so at that point in time.

Anita's lines in "Tonight" are changed from "He'll walk in hot and tired, so what / No matter if he's tired, as long as he's hot" to "He'll walk in hot and tired, poor dear / No matter if he's tired, as long as he's here." And in "Gee, Officer Krupke", the line "My father is a bastard / My ma's an SOB / My grandpa's always plastered / My grandma pushes tea" is changed to "My daddy beats my mommy / My mommy clobbers me / My grandpa is a Commie / My grandma pushes tea." And in the "Jet Song" the lines "When you're a Jet / And the spit hits the fan / You got brothers around / You're a family man" are changed to "When you're a Jet / Let them do what they can / You got brothers around / You're a family man." Particularly funny given that "spit" in the original was probably changed from...well, you know. The writers of the movie took the line, "Trusting with our hearts open!

With our arms open!" - "You came with your legs open!" and replaced "legs" with " mouth ." Furthermore, Stephen Sondheim originally wanted to end the song "Gee, Officer Krupke, fuck you!" but it was changed to "Krup you!" (In his book of the lyrics, he comments that he thought the "Krupp" change was for the better .) In the show, Maria whines when Anita won't make her dance dress sexier, insisting that "it's now to be used for dancing, not kneeling in front of an altar!", implying that it was once her church dress. Anita responds, "With those boys, you could start out dancing and end up kneeling", insinuating either (a) "having" to get married because of sexual activity and pregnancy, or (b) the sexual activity itself. In the movie, this is changed to "dress for praying" and "start out dancing and end up praying", making the implications less obvious. Schrank's taunting of Action changes from "How's the action on your mother's mattress?" to "How's the action on your mother's side of the street?" Not much better but enough to go over the head of some younger viewers.

Break the Cutie : Maria and Anita. Chino counts as well. Brief Accent Imitation : In the film adaptation, one of the Jets acts as a doctor with a German accent during "Gee, Officer Krupke". Butch Lesbian : While some of Anybodys' lines imply she's heterosexual or bi, she fits the look, and acts in a comparatively "masculine" manner for her time and place. The character could very likely be a trans boy rather than an actual woman, too. It's something that can vary from production to production. Call-and-Response Song : "America." In the stage version, Rosalia sings about how great Puerto Rico was and the other women sing about how America is better. In the film, the women sing about America's positive qualities and the men sing about its xenophobia. Colour-Coded for Your Convenience : Purple and red for the Sharks, yellow and blue for the Jets. Most obvious at the dance, but still subtly present in other scenes. White, red, and yellow for Maria, pink and purple for Anita, and blue for Tony. Combat by Champion : How the climactic rumble at the end of Act I was "supposed" to go.

Covers Always Lie : A carefree Tony and Maria frolicking down the street on the front of the Original Broadway Cast album. Doc: When do you kids stop?! You make this world lousy! Action: We didn't make it, Doc. Cycle of Vengeance : As best as can be determined from each side's self-serving account, the conflict began when the Jets attacked Bernardo the day he moved to the West Side (though the Jets would say Bernardo began it by moving there .) Bernardo created the Sharks to oppose them, but by the time the movie begins, both sides have become virtually indistinguishable , and each is concerned only with vengeance on the other for whatever the other's last act of vengeance on them was. In the reprise of "Tonight," each side sings the line "They began it." They also sing the exact same music on that line, suggesting that the genesis of each gang's hatred is basically identical. Dance of Romance : Tony and Maria, though it is a cha-cha and not the more standard waltz. Dark Reprise : "America" and "Somewhere". Don't forget "Tonight".

Died in Your Arms Tonight : In the movie, at least, Tony dies as Maria holds him. Digital Destruction : To put it bluntly, every DVD and Blu-Ray Disc has at least one flaw. Most infamously, the Special Edition DVD plays "Tonight" out of sync, and the 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray has the screen turn black during a few seconds of the overture. Dirty Cop : Lt. Schrank only barely holds the Jets in higher esteem than the Sharks. To him, they're all immigrant scum. Distant Duet : "Tonight". Double Entendre : "Hey! I got a social disease!", referring of course, to juvenile delinquency, but the term Social Disease can also mean something very different... Downer Ending : Sure, the fighting's over, but three people are dead. But come on, this was based off of Romeo and Juliet , so it was hard not to see that one coming. If anything, West Side's ending can be considered Lighter and Softer than Romeo and Juliet's. Dramatic Irony : Maria persuades Tony to go to the rumble in order to stop the fist-fight. He ends up killing her brother.

Dream Ballet : "Somewhere" Driven to Suicide : After hearing that Chino allegedly murdered Maria in a jealous rage, Tony wanders the streets calling for Chino to kill him as well. Just as Tony sees Maria still alive and happily reunites with her, Chino belatedly obliges his death wish. Shortly after this happens, an incensed Maria grabs the gun and threatens to kill herself after murdering everyone present. Enemy Mine : For all their hatred of each other, the Jets and the Sharks seem pretty unified in their hatred of Shrank and Krupke — when Bernardo mouths off to Shrank, Riff and the other Jets are visibly amused/impressed by this. Later, Bernado and Riff pretend to be friendly when they notice Krupke eying them suspiciously, both gangs do this in full force when Shrank interrupts their war council, and when Shrank insults Bernardo, it's Riff who holds Bernardo back from attacking him. Enter Stage Window : Naturally, considering it's based on the Ur-Example .

Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas : All of the Jets appear ready to attack Shrank when he insults their families, referring to them as "tin-horn immigrant scum", and A-Rab and Action in particular need to be held back when he taunts the former about his father's alcoholism and the latter about his mother being a hooker. Expy : Every single character corresponds to one in "Romeo & Juliet", as do many of the scenes and sequences. The most obvious being that Tony is Romeo while Maria is Juliet. The Jets are the Montagues, the Sharks the Capulets, and so on: Characters: Both works open with a fight between the two rival groups.

Juliet's betrothal to Paris=Maria's engagement to Chino Juliet's debut party=Maria's first dance Romeo & Juliet's balcony scene=Tony & Maria's fire escape scene Romeo & Juliet's elopement=Tony and Maria acting out a wedding Tybalt killing Mercutio=Bernardo killing Riff Romeo killing Tybalt=Tony killing Bernardo Friar Escalus having to be quarantined thus unable to tell Romeo that Juliet's death is faked, leading to Romeo's suicidal response=Anita being assaulted by the Jets and thus lying about Maria's death, leading to Tony begging Chino to kill him. Extremely Short Timespan : Starts on Friday afternoon and ends on either very late Saturday night or very early Sunday morning. Considering everything that happens, that is one hell of a weekend. Mob War Mood Whiplash : in the original stage play, "I Feel Pretty" takes place right after the rumble and just before Maria learns Tony killed Bernardo. "Gee, Officer Krupke" also takes place after the rumble. These were moved to before the rumble in the film. That being said, the movie still has a little bit of mood whiplash after the rumble.

It cuts from Riff and Bernardo lying dead, to Maria dancing wistfully on a rooftop. Since this dance only lasts a minute at most, until Chino appears to deliver some tragic news, the amount of mood whiplash still feels significantly smaller than it did in the play. Also applies to the "Gee, Officer Krupke" and "Cool" songs. In the stage version, the very sinister, serious "Cool" plays before the war council, whereas the comical "Gee, Officer Krupke" plays right after the rumble; the film reverses their placement. Stephen Sondheim has put out there that he prefers the play's placement of these songs. Moral Myopia : Tony and Maria are respectively the only members of the Jets and the Sharks who show any sympathy for the other side. My Country Tis of Thee That I Sting : "I Like To Be In America" is partially a Patriotic Fervor song as well as a song that is critical of the USA. The Puerto Rican women all prefer New York to Puerto Rico, while their men are far more critical. Yes, the song is sung by Puerto Ricans, but it was written by an American, Stephen Sondheim .

Anita: Lots of new housing with more space Bernardo: Lots of doors slamming in our face. Anita: I'll get a terrace apartment. Bernardo: Better get rid of your accent. Anita: Life can be bright in America! Bernardo: If you can fight in America! Anita: Life is all right in America! Bernardo: If you're all white in America! My God, What Have I Done? : Tony, after killing Bernardo. Bernardo himself after killing Riff. Everyone after Tony dies and Maria chews them all out. Parental Abandonment : Heavily implied with Riff. Poirot Speak : The Puerto Ricans litter their English with this. For examples, "por favor?", "una poca", and "si". Averted in the current revival, in which both the songs "I Feel Pretty" and "A Boy Like That/I Have A Love" are both sung entirely in Spanish, in addition to most scenes featuring only the Sharks being spoken in Spanish. Due to the Spanish words not quite fitting the music, the songs were changed back into English in August 2009, but the spoken scenes remain in Spanish.

This reaction could possibly have been avoided if they had displayed subtitles for the audience. Pragmatic Adaptation : The Movie is a very intact adaptation of the stage show, but song placement is shuffled around, to excellent effect. "Gee, Officer Krupke" and "I Feel Pretty" were both moved to Act I, which is lighter and more fun in tone. "Cool," an edgy and angry song, was moved into the similarly tense and dark Act II, averting the show's Mood Whiplash . "Bernardo was right. If one of you was lying in the street bleeding, I'd walk by and spit on you ." Maria reveals she finally understands this when she raises her gun. Rabid Cop : Shrank can run into this trope at times, especially when he shows himself willing to beat up the kids. Let him go, buddy boy. Let him go. One of these days, Action, there ain't gonna be nobody to hold you back. Roaring Rampage of Revenge : Tony killing Bernardo after the former kills Riff, the ensuing Jets/Sharks fight, and Chino ultimately killing Tony at the end could be seen as this.

West Side Story - Broadway | Tickets | Broadway | Broadway.com West Side Story Browse more shows you may also be interested in. Theater The story of Romeo and Juliet is transported to the turbulent streets of New York City in the 1950s. Star-crossed lovers are caught between rival street gangs. Directed by librettist ... Video Read More Pulled directly from the pages of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the musical takes place on New York's West Side in the mid-1950s amidst widespread racial and social tension. The show begins as a war is building between two rival gangs fighting over the same piece of turf: born and bred New York boys, The Jets, and Puerto Rican immigrants The Sharks. In the midst of the battlefield are two young romantics, good-boy Tony, a Jet ready to leave the gang life behind, and wide-eyed Maria, the sister of Sharks leader, Bernardo. When Tony and Maria unexpectedly meet and fall for one another, tension between the rival groups only escalates, leading to a bloody and senseless rumble that costs both sides young lives.

In spite of the violence, the true story at the core of the show is two lovers trying to find a way to be together—and whether either can survive when hate and ignorance are unwilling to yield. Critics’ Reviews This fresh, bold production is so exciting it makes you ache with pleasure. It's both airborne and transcendent. Review by John Lahr from The New Yorker Having the Sharks speakin their native tongue is brilliant! The excitement and emotional force of this revival don't need translation. It feels incredibly right for New York to have a story this bittersweet back in Times Square, where is belongs. Review by Jeremy McCarter from Newsweek Frequently Asked Questions about West Side Story What Is West Side Story Like? Considered a great groundbreaking musical, West Side Story has remained a poignant, provocative and emotionally devastating piece of theater for over half a century. Dark in tone and content, the show is flush with many of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein's most famous compositions, offering a richly layered score played by a full orchestra—a rare find, even on Broadway, these days. Factor in recreations of original director and choreographer Jerome Robbins' equally iconic choreography, and the production becomes an electrifying piece of musical drama.

Despite West Side's difficult themes, the show also offers some of the biggest, brightest crowd-pleasers in theater history, including uber-ballad “Tonight,” the chirpy "America" and the hilariously macabre "Gee Officer Krupke." The show may be a rollercoaster of emotions, but it offers something for every taste. Is West Side Story Good for Kids? Let's make one thing clear—audience members of all ages should come armed with tissues. Like its Shakespearian predecessor, all is not well that doesn’t end well, so those upset by anything less than a pitch-perfect happy ending should enter warily. The show also deals with adult themes: violence, murder, rape and bigotry all get their turn in the spotlight, as do bad language, sexual innuendos and racial slurs. While the tiniest tots may not be ready for this sort of musical education, West Side Story is a valuable experience for theater buffs and newbies alike. If your brood can handle the Academy Award-winning film, then they (and you) will be well prepared for what will play out on the Broadway stage.

West Side Story | Reelviews Movie Reviews Array ( [page] => reelviews [view] => west-side-story ) West Side Story (United States, 1961) A movie review by James Berardinelli By the late 1950s and early 1960s, the musical had become one of the most popular motion picture genres. The list of past hits was impressive, including titles like Singin' in the Rain, South Pacific, The King and I, Oklahoma!, An American in Paris, My Fair Lady, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Carousel. Consequently, Hollywood moguls were always on the lookout for new source material, regardless of whether it was original or adapted. So, whenever a new Broadway musical captured the public's attention, an attempt was usually made to transform it into a screen event. West Side Story debuted on Broadway in 1957, several years after the idea was conceived by Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins. The concept underlying the play was to transfer Romeo and Juliet to a contemporary setting and present the story as a musical, resulting in an intriguing mix of romance, tragedy, violence, and singing & dancing.

Robbins and Bernstein walked a tightrope to keep the elements properly balanced; it would have been easy for one aspect or another to have emerged more strongly than the others, thereby unsettling the entire production. Audiences loved the play. It stayed for two years on Broadway before going on tour then returning to New York for a grand re-opening. Thoughts of a movie blossomed soon after it became apparent that West Side Story was a hit. So, with Bernstein and Robbins working in concert with director Robert Wise, the film version went into production in 1960. After opening in October 1961, it became an international hit and won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The movie transpires in New York's Upper West Side during the late 1950s. The feuding Monatgues and Capulets are represented by rival gangs: the Jets and the Sharks. The former group is comprised of first-generation New Yorkers whose parents came across on boats during the early decades of the century. Their rivals are Puerto Rican immigrants who are newly arrived in the United States.

The constant skirmishing of the Jets and the Sharks is primed to explode into an open war, but not before Tony (Richard Beymer), a founder of the Jets (who is no longer with the gang - he has gotten a job), falls in love with Maria (Natalie Wood), the sister of the Sharks' leader. In true Romeo and Juliet fashion, these two defy conventions and risk everything, including their lives, to be with one another. And, also as in Shakespeare's play, there are no happy endings. To its credit, West Side Story does not shy away from difficult issues. It explores both the senselessness of gang strife and the prejudice faced by immigrants. Yet, by today's standards, its views on both seem a little naïve. However, the film's approach to violence is unique. West Side Story is almost bloodless - even the stabbing and gunshot scenes are sanitized. All the fights are highly stylized and divorced from reality. The characters dance around each other while in the process of stalking and attacking. Yet there's a real sense of menace to some of these scenes, due in large part to the choreography and Bernstein's dissonant score. We end up feeling the violence more than seeing it.

It doesn't always work - the power of the scenes in which characters die is arguably lessened by this approach - but it enables a grittier story to be told within the musical framework. The language has also been toned down, and, by today's standards, seems positively quaint. I'm not a big proponent of needless profanity, but hearing silly euphemisms inserted to replace certain obscenities makes occasional lines of dialogue laughably absurd. Street characters talk tough; they always have and they always will. West Side Story makes them sound like choir boys. Certain lyrics also had to be softened to appease the censors. "Gee, Officer Krupke" loses a bit of its edge as a result. It's clear that the cast for West Side Story was not chosen on the basis of pure acting ability. The female lead went to Natalie Wood, who was a big box office draw after earning an Oscar nomination for Rebel Without a Cause. And, although Wood gives a strong enough performance, it's legitimate to argue that she was miscast. An extreme suspension of disbelief is required to accept her as a Puerto Rican, and her shaky accent doesn't help.

She doesn't look the part; in fact, based on appearance, she would have been more at home as a Jets girl than as lovestruck Maria. Wood also did not do her own singing. That duty fell to professional voice dubber Marni Nixon, who had previously handled similar duties for Audrey Hepburn (My Fair Lady) and Deborah Kerr (The King and I). It's no wonder that Maria sounds so much like Eliza Doolittle. The role of Tony went to toothy Richard Beymer, who didn't have much of a career before or after West Side Story. (Fans of the cult series "Twin Peaks" might remember him, however, since he had a recurring part as lodge owner Benjamin Horne.) The reason is simple - he's not a very good actor. His performance in West Side Story is exaggerated, which works well in the musical sequences, but strikes the wrong note more than once in the quieter, dramatic moments. He and Wood also don't display much chemistry. However, Beymer is athletic and shows good timing and fluid movement, which makes him a natural for the dance numbers. Like his co-star, his vocals were dubbed (by Jimmy Bryant).

The supporting players were, like Beymer, selected based more on dancing ability than acting acumen. Not surprisingly, this contributes to the strength of West Side Story's musical numbers while limiting its effectiveness in traditionally dramatic circumstances. Russ Tamblyn (who would join Beymer in the "Twin Peaks" cast, as Dr. Jacoby) portrays Riff, the leader of the Jets, and is one of the stronger talents. His dancing is superlative and he was allowed to sing for himself. Rita Moreno, a native Puerto Rican who has enjoyed a solid career as both an actress and a singer/dancer, is Anita, Maria's best friend. She won a Best Supporting Actress for her work here. Surprisingly, Moreno, who has a good voice, was dubbed for one song. Finally, George Chakiris matched Moreno with a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Bernardo, Maria's brother and the leader of the Sharks. Those with a keen eye may recognize John Astin in a small part as a dance organizer (this was three years before "The Addams Family"). Of course, as is always the case with a musical, West Side Story is at its best when the characters are singing and dancing.

Bernstein's score is rich and memorable, and of the roughly twelve songs on the soundtrack, three are standouts. Two of them, the romantic ballads "Tonight" and "Somewhere," are instantly recognizable standards. The third, arguably the most energetic number, is the six-minute "America." In addition to being a favorite, the song also includes West Side Story's strongest element of social commentary. It is set up as a give-and-take between the Puerto Rican women, who cling to their dream of America as a land of promise, and the men, who have been disillusioned by the limited job and housing prospects for immigrants. One line, "Skyscrapers bloom in America, Cadillacs zoom in America, Industry boom in America," is countered by "Twelve in a room in America." Likewise, the response to "Life is all right in America" is "If you're all white in America." Effective singing is matched by strong dancing in West Side Story. Jerome Robbins' role as choreographer was so crucial to the film's success that he was give co-director status, even though most of the traditional "direction" was accomplished by Robert Wise (who would go on to helm The Sound of Music).

The dancing capabilities of the cast pays off in several complex, brilliantly-executed sequences, including a spectacular twelve-minute opening, the back-and-forth of "America," and the edgy "Cool." Meanwhile, Wise handles the task of melding the standard dramatic elements with the musical ones. He is also responsible for the inclusion of the film's first group of shots: a breathtaking aerial tour of Manhattan, circa 1960. Visually, West Side Story is a treat. While the audience's focus is undoubtedly on the soundtrack, Wise and cinematographer Daniel L. Fapp (The Great Escape) give the film a unique look that recalls, but does not accurately replicate, Manhattan's West Side during the late '50s. Some scenes were shot on location, but most of the work was done on elaborately constructed soundstage sets. The print features some of the richest colors to be found in any '60s widescreen production (the photographic process was Super Panavision 70). Closeups of Wood and Beymer are used effectively to highlight their growing attraction.

Until Baz Luhrmann attempted a highly unusual take of Romeo and Juliet using snatches of Shakespeare's original dialogue in a radical setting, West Side Story remained the best known and most atypical modernization of the Bard's tale. And, even though the movie version of the stage production does not play quite as well today as it once did, it still represents a brave and effective fusion of serious and fantasy elements, and offers two and one-half hours of solid entertainment. Admittedly, there are times when West Side Story strikes a campy or discordant note, but those instances are overbalanced by the more frequent moments when it offers its own brand of cinematic magic. Robyn Goodman ’69 puts the 'Oeste' in 'West Side Story' | BrandeisNOW Robyn Goodman ’69 puts the 'Oeste' in 'West Side Story' Producer says si, si, to a bilingual remake of Brandeis composer’s masterpiece Brandeis graduate Robyn Goodman is part of a team of producers who have helped bring the 21st century 'West Side Story' to fruition. Feb.

25, 2009 By Theresa Pease In 1957, when New York audiences filed into the Winter Garden Theater to experience Brandeis music guru Leonard Bernstein’s newest composition, "West Side Story," they were unprepared for what they saw and heard. Essentially a modern, urban retelling of the Romeo and Juliet tale, "West Side Story" was a story of ill-fated love and bigotry set among rival American and Puerto Rican street gangs in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen. Its score included several pieces that would become classics of the American musical theater, among them “One Hand, One Heart,” “Tonight,” “Maria” and “Somewhere.” But apart from a couple of rollickingly funny songs — “America” and “Gee, Officer Krupke” — its score bore little resemblance to anything musical theater audiences had seen before. The idea of a musical with a serious theme had been tested earlier by composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Ira Gershwin in "Lady in the Dark," a 1941 show about psychoanalysis.

It was only with "West Side Story," though, that an American musical tragedy, mixing Bernstein’s music seamlessly with Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics, Arthur Laurents’s libretto and director-choreographer Jerome Robbins’s startling blend of street gestures and violent action with ballet and jazz dance, took stage. It was heralded as a landmark theatrical event. Today, "West Side Story" is again new. After going on to become a top hit movie and to flourish through several New York revivals, the musical has been reborn in a surprising new iteration currently in previews at the Palace Theater in Times Square. And apart from Bernstein’s, the shimmering marquee now features another Brandeis name. Veteran actress and producer Robyn Goodman, a 1969 Brandeis graduate who received best musical Tony Awards in 2004 for "Avenue Q" and 2008 for "In the Heights," is part of a team of producers who have helped bring the 21st century "West Side Story" to fruition. Her role entailed securing a large chunk of the funding necessary to mount the production.

Working primarily with backers who had supported her previous hit musicals, she helped meet "West Side Story’s" $14 million budget by racking up private investments of $20,000 and more — no mean feat in a crumbling economy. “She wouldn’t talk that way” To grasp what’s so new about this "West Side Story" requires looking back at the old. Once a boyhood protégé to family friend Oscar Hammerstein II, Sondheim is distinguished, at 78, as a rare overlap between the great mid-20th-century musical comedy writers like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and Bock and Harnick and the more flashy, less bookish composers and lyricists of today. But despite critics’ enthusiastic responses to the 1957 version, Sondheim, who was just 27 when the Jets and the Sharks rumbled onto the stage, was never quite satisfied with his Broadway debut.

Years later, having established himself as a giant among composers and lyricists, he told theatrical historian Martin Gottfried that his "West Side Story" lyrics were too clever, too self-consciously entertaining, to be true to the characters — particularly members and friends of the Puerto Rican Sharks gang. Talking about the song “I Feel Pretty” in his 1979 tome "Broadway Musicals," Gottfried wrote, “According to Sondheim, the character [of Maria], a teenager from New York’s slum streets, would never have said, ‘It’s alarming how charming I feel,’ and would hardly have used an internal rhyme. Sondheim may be too hard on himself — all characters use rhymes in lyrics, and we accept expressions in a song that we wouldn’t accept when spoken — but his point is correct. She wouldn’t talk that way.” How would she talk? Well, for one thing, as an immigrant recently arrived with her family on the scarred streets of midtown Manhattan, it’s unlikely she would have spoken in English.

And, though we are quite sure that was not what Sondheim meant when he criticized his own lyric, two of the four original "West Side Story" masterminds recently reunited to give Maria, the Juliet counterpart, her authentic say — in Spanish. Scriptwriter Laurents, now 91, apparently shared Sondheim’s misgivings about the authenticity of "West Side Story’s" language. After directing a 2008 Tony Award–nominated revival of "Gypsy" — another musical on which he collaborated with Sondheim half a century ago — he stepped forward to propose and direct a bilingual revival of "West Side Story" that features the Hispanic characters speaking or singing in their native language at selected moments. Sondheim has helped guide the new Spanish lyrics crafted by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music and lyrics for 2008’s Tony Award–winning best musical, "In the Heights," and choreographer Joey McKneely has meticulously re-created and adapted Robbins’s original movement.

The revival — which The New York Times has described as “darker” and “grittier” than the original — opened for a pre-Broadway tryout at Washington’s National Theater, where the musical had its world premiere 51 years ago. New York previews began at the Palace Theater on Feb. 23, with an official opening set for March 19. For months, it has been heralded as a huge landmark on the New York stage. As one observer put it, “It’s the buzz of the theater world!” “We have come full circle” Although the revival of a stage classic was an unusual project for Goodman — who is far more accustomed to discovering little-known playwrights and composers and developing shows from inception to opening night — she says the invitation to be part of theater history was irresistible. Particularly compelling was her memory of being taken, as an 11-year-old aspiring actress, to see the original production of the show. Also a powerful magnet was her experience working under Arthur Laurents’s direction at Houston’s Alley Theater 40 years ago on a play he had written about the Holocaust.

At a preliminary production meeting for "West Side Story," Laurents — who is, in Goodman’s words, “just as ferocious, acute, demanding and energetic as he was when I was 22” — said to his now-producer, “Robyn, we have come full circle.” Full circle, indeed. Today a partner in her own production company, Aged in Wood, Goodman began acting as a member of legendary director Morris Carnovsky’s Brandeis ensemble, then went to New York, where she got work in a range of productions, including the off-Broadway hit "When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder?" and the TV soap opera "Another World." Reflecting on the stereotype of starving artists eking out a living by serving food in New York restaurants, she deadpans, “I tried waiting on tables, but I was terrible at it.” “I think you’re a producer” Goodman found herself working frequently with famed producer and director Joseph Papp, founder of the New York Public Theater, who chose her to replace Marsha Mason as Lady Anne in a Lincoln Center production of "Richard III" starring Michael Moriarty. And, indeed, it was Papp who first uncovered Goodman’s talent as a producer.

“We were going to do three short plays in England,” she explains, “and at the last minute we found there was no money to send us. So another actress and I called everyone we knew, and we scraped up about $3,000 to get us to London. We produced the plays ourselves, and they were a huge hit. One eminent critic wrote that we had ‘changed the tide of American work being done in London.’” When Goodman returned to New York, it was with a heap of scripts and ideas for Papp. At her instigation, he produced a female version of Samuel Beckett’s "Waiting for Godot" and several works by emerging playwrights. It was in that context that Papp declared, “Robyn, I think you’re a producer.” With creative partner Carole Rothman, Goodman opened New York’s Second Stage Theatre, which for the past three decades has been helping to launch the careers of playwrights, directors, actors and designers.

The title refers to the organizing principle of the company, which was formed to give new life to interesting plays whose premier productions were not widely seen: plays that, as she puts it, “might have run for 12 performances and never been heard of again.” She worked for 13 years with the company, producing 50 shows and discovering a coterie of new playwrights. For a while, Goodman tried producing for TV and won six Emmy Awards in four years for the soap opera "One Life to Live." Then she returned to the live stage, joining forces with impresario Lynne Meadow to launch the Manhattan Theater Club, where she produced several shows and served as director of artistic development. From Sesame to Salsa Since opening Aged in Wood with partners Jeffrey Seller and Kevin McCollum, Goodman has had her hand in an array of shows, including "Batboy: The Musical," "Tick, Tick . . . Boom!" "Altar Boyz," "A Class Act" and Metamorphoses.

Goodman becomes especially animated when talking about her experience putting together "Avenue Q," which was a kind of profane answer to "Sesame Street," or, in her words, “an adult musical based on the techniques of children’s television.” What made doing "Avenue Q" so exciting, she says, is that the idea originally came to her in the person of two performers who had simply penned a threesome of eye-opening songs for big, hairy puppets. With titles like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” and “If You Were Gay,” they sparked Goodman’s imagination, and soon she was recruiting a team of writers, director and designers. Before long, "Avenue Q" had a plot, script and score, and its creators carried away a six-pack of Tony Awards, including those for best musical, best book, best score and best direction. “It was a gratifying experience,” understates Goodman, who repeated the feat in 2008 by pulling down Tony Awards in the best musical, best score and best choreography categories for "In the Heights," a Hispanic-cast musical set in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood and peppered with hip-hop, rap and salsa sounds.

She found "In the Heights" when it was in an embryonic state at the Eugene O’Neill Development Center, an incubator for gestating plays in Connecticut, and “happily watched it grow from a sort of lumpy show with brilliant music to an exciting show with brilliant music,” she says. Casting for conviction One of the lead performers from "In the Heights," Karen Olivo, is playing the fiery Anita in "West Side Story," and, indeed, all the Puerto Rican characters are portrayed by Hispanic performers. Goodman notes that the casting philosophy was central to Laurents’s vision for the revival, as was the decision to weave Spanish language throughout the text. To make the bilingual approach credible, the librettist-director has the ethnic characters use their native languages when it would be natural for them to do so. Thus, “I Feel Pretty,” a song Maria sings privately with a cluster of her girlfriends, is performed in Spanish, while “America” — in which Anita is making a pitch for assimilation into the U.S. culture — is rendered in English. And, though the setting of the play will remain in the 1950s, Laurents vetted the original script to eliminate incomprehensibly dated expressions.

He also sharpened the violent edges on the gang members. As he told a Playbill reporter, “The musical theater and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters [in the original production] to have any authenticity. Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then. Now they actually will be. Only Tony [the American-born Romeo counterpart] and Maria try to live in a different world.” “'West Side Story,'” Goodman says with a sigh, “I am doing for fun and because I believe my investors will make money. But I think my strongest skills lie in development. I enjoy helping writers and directors realize their vision. The thing that is most satisfying to me is being able to assemble a team of talented people and then help them — by giving them notes, or money or advice, or whatever I can give — to develop their project.” Theresa Pease is editor of Brandeis University Magazine and a former editor of Playbill in Boston. 'West Side Story' Rumbles Onto Mount Tam « Academy Art U News 'West Side Story' Rumbles Onto Mount Tam Photo by Dorothy O'Donnell.

By Dorothy O'Donnell Rival New York gangs have taken over the top of Mount Tamalpais. This month, you can watch the Jets and Sharks rumble on the Cushing Amphitheatre’s stage during the Mountain Play’s production of West Side Story, the classic musical based on Romeo and Juliet. Now in its 103rd season, Mountain Play is a beloved summer tradition that attracts fans from all over the Bay Area. Set in the mid-fifties on New York’s Upper West Side—then an ethnic, blue-collar neighborhood—the play revolves around young lovers Tony and Maria. Tony is a former member of the Jets, a white gang, and best friends with Riff, the gang’s leader. Maria is from Puerto Rico. Her brother, Bernardo, heads the Puerto Rican Sharks. The couple struggles to stay together as their family and friends focus on their differences and try to rip them apart. With themes of prejudice and inequality, West Side Story feels as relevant today as when director Jerome Robbins brought it to Broadway in 1957. As usual, this year’s Mountain Play has a strong cast. During a dress rehearsal preview, the 45 actors and dancers delivered a seamless performance under the guidance of director Jay Manley.

The 18-piece orchestra conducted by David Moschler was equally impressive. “West Side Story is a super challenging play to put on,” said Sara Pearson, executive director of the Mountain Play. “We waited until we were really ready to do it justice, and we’re so pleased with what we’ve accomplished. This is also the nicest group of people I’ve ever worked with—everyone is having a blast and they’re all very proud of themselves.” Photo by Dorothy O'Donnell. They have good reason to be. Jerry Lee is a charismatic Tony and Mindy Lym is perfect as sweet, passionate Maria. Their beautiful voices elevate the emotion of every scene they’re in, and are especially powerful when blended together. Zachary Isen brings the right dose of swagger to the role of Riff and David Crane is a forceful Bernardo. Erica Lamkin is also excellent as brash Anita, Bernardo’s girlfriend. Choreographer Nicole Helfer’s dance routines are mesmerizing and a crucial part of the play.

Each one captures the characters’ moods, from the exuberance of the rival gang couples showing off for each other during “The Dance at the Gym” to the Jets’ simmering anger in the taut, finger-snapping moves of “Cool.” Fight choreographer Zoe Swenson-Graham’s dramatic, slow motion rumble was also hypnotizing. “What Nicole does with this very difficult choreography is just miraculous,” said Pearson. “There’s a huge range of experience among the dancers—only four or five are professionals. And I never get tired of seeing the absolute tightness of Zoe’s fight moves.” Photo by Dorothy O'Donnell. Watching the play unfold in a stunning natural setting is also part of the fun. Perched on a pine-rimmed hillside, the theatre affords views of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco shimmering in the distance. Grab some friends, pack a picnic—or purchase food from the café—and spend the day on Mount Tam. Arrive early to enjoy pre-show entertainment, including live music, puppet shows and crafts.

(The bench-style seating is built out of rock, so you may want to bring a small, cushioned stadium chair or rent one on site.) Sarah Suloff is among those who considers a trip to the Mountain Play a rite of summer. She started going to the event with her family as a kid and now continues the tradition with her children. “I’ve been coming to the Mountain Play off and on for 30 years,” she said. “It’s a fun way to spend the day and see a great show.” Limited parking is available near the Cushing Amphitheatre and spaces fill quickly. For many people, taking the free shuttle to and from the show is part of the Mountain Play experience. Buses depart every half hour between 10 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. from two Mill Valley locations: Tamalpais High School and the Manzanita Commuter Parking Lot. Hiking to the theatre is another option (go to mountainplay.org for routes and more information). West Side Story is playing on Sundays through June 19, as well as Saturday, June 11. All shows begin at 2 p.m.

General admission adult tickets are $40; discounts are offered for seniors, students and children. You can purchase tickets through the website. Academy of Art University

Question: In the musical "West Side Story", where have about half of the characters (including "Maria" and her family) emigrated from?
Answer: Puerto Rico