Aug 22, 2018 as west side story celebrates its 60th anniversary, it stands as more than art. West side story 210 movie clip love at first sight 1961. The library had the first prints made from the original. First look at steven spielbergs west side story revealed. They came together through love but violence threatened to tear them apart. America by west side story cast ensemble songfacts. One other thing this book provesjerome preisler and jack gregory didnt invent the reverse process. West side story opened on broadway at the winter garden theatre on 26. Debuting one day after the forced integration of central high school in little rock, the musicals story. Youll be the first to hear about exclusive presales and any news about west side story. Jul 30, 20 west side story won an almostrecord ten oscars, including best picture, supporting awards to chakiris and rita moreno as bernardos girlfriend, anita, and best director to robbins and wise. Nov 01, 2011 the opening prologue from the 10time academy award winning musical film west side story, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary on november 15, 2011.
But marias brother was leader of the sharks and tony had once. Feb 24, 2020 the united states has a compulsion when it comes to west side story, restaging, again and again, the primal scene of the colonys incursion into american consciousness, the midcenturys. Just as romeo and juliet are born to rival families, tony and maria are associated with rival gangs. Shulman 191995 was a novelist and screenwriter, known for his depictions of urban life. It is based on shakespeares play, romeo and juliet. The question and answer section for west side story 1961 film is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. West side story became a global sensation when it hit broadway in 1957, with a book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein, and lyrics by stephen sondheim that made generations swoon, snap. This is the first west side story ive seen in which tony emerges fully and compellingly as the shows central.
After a twoweek run at philadelphias erlanger theatre, the show opened on broadway at the winter garden theatre on september 26, 1957. It was an artistic confrontation of social issues from immigration and bigotry to economic inequality and gang. West side story 210 movie clip love at first sight. Leonard bernstein was one of the first americanborn conductors to receive worldwide fame. Goodreads members who liked west side story also liked.
He composed the score for the broadway musical west side story. West side story and the american idea of getting along. The original stage musical of west side story now revived and touring to seattle differs from the wellknown film in key ways. West side story simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. West side story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, an ethnic, bluecollar neighborhood in the early 1960s, much of the neighborhood was cleared in an urban renewal project for the lincoln center, which changed the neighborhoods character. I absconded with itthis was the cast album from the 1957 broadway musicaland just fell. Heres a short compare and contrast by seattle times. They planned to stage the conflict between rival catholic and jewish groups. Dec 21, 2017 from west side story i learned about tragedy, and love, and sexthere were broken hearts all over the place, like broken glassand the idea that things can go very, very wrong, in an. The genesis, impact, and influence of west side story has been explained and analyzed in countless histories and memoirs.
The lyrics were by a newcomer named stephen sondheim. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The sharks mostly recent puerto rican immigrants and the jets mostly second generation european immigrants circa 1960. Aug 23, 2018 west side story was originally east side story. West side story prologue official full number 50th. Find books like west side story from the worlds largest community of readers. One other thing this book provesjerome preisler and jack gregory didnt invent the reverse process of the bringing of a story from. The score by leonard bernstein and lyrics by stephen sondheim are widely regarded as among the best ever written. He is the author of ten books, including the novels the amboy dukes, cry tough, and the square trap, which were all adapted into movies. The musical is a 20thcentury american adaptation of the shakespearean tale of romeo and juliet. I think it is or should be a strong love story against a heightened, theatricalized, romanticized. And he, who had been seeking something beyond the savagery of the streets, discovered it with her. Examine the social issues in west side story in addition to being a beautiful and heartfelt work of musical theater, west side story was one of the first musicals to engage with the tough issues of the day, including gang violence, immigration, social inequality, and sexism. By subscribing, you agree to receive email from the promoters regarding west side story and future events.
He made his first significant mark on broadway, though, as the lyricist for leonard bernsteins west side story, which opened in 1957. The gem of broadway musicals, west side story s commentary on love and prejudice is relevant to any time and place. Jerry robbins had declared that first day that the stage was a. West side story broadway theatre theater in new york. My brother, sister, and i have always had west side story in our lives. Need reed 1 book from west side story activity stream.
West side story, theatre music by american composer leonard bernstein that premiered august 19, 1957, in washington, d. West side story, first staged in 1957, proved to be leonard bernsteins masterpiece. The opening prologue from the 10time academy award winning musical film west side story, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary on november 15, 2011. Maria was young and innocent and had never known loveuntil tony. West side story won an almostrecord ten oscars, including best picture, supporting awards to chakiris and rita moreno as bernardos girlfriend, anita, and best director to robbins and wise. West side story summary and study guide supersummary. It was inspired by william shakespeare s play romeo and juliet. The music was composed by leonard bernstein, and the lyrics were written by stephen sondheim. When they first conceived the show in 1949, robbins, bernstein and laurents set their story on the east side of manhattan, and gave it the working title east side story.
Mar 18, 2020 he made his first significant mark on broadway, though, as the lyricist for leonard bernsteins west side story, which opened in 1957. Its a modernday, bigcity adaptation of the story of. There are some nice solo lines for alto in the first book, lots of flute playing including some exposed passages in the third octave, and two fun spots. In my book club we took the comparison between this and the outsides. Mar 16, 2020 west side story was actually the first piece of popular music our family ever allowed into the home. The score by leonard bernstein and lyrics by stephen sondheim are. West side story simple english wikipedia, the free. West side story overview the best broadway source for west side story tickets and west side story information, photos and videos. After owning their miserable little neighborhood for years, the jets, the fingersnapping street gang led by riff russ tamblyn, find themselves in a turf war with the upstart puerto rican sharks, led by bernardo george chakiris. From west side story i learned about tragedy, and love, and sexthere were broken hearts all over the place, like broken glassand the idea that things can go very, very wrong, in an. If any aspect of west side story is still undervalued it is the book by arthur laurents. Jan 03, 2018 the genesis, impact, and influence of west side story has been explained and analyzed in countless histories and memoirs.
Need reed 1 book from west side story i dont have a copy of the book but ive played the show. In the early 1960s, much of the neighborhood would be cleared to make room for lincoln. West side story the musical the original broadway classic. West side story began its out of town performances at the national theatre in washington, d. Terms in this set 41 who is the leader of the jets. With natalie wood, george chakiris, richard beymer, russ tamblyn. He was the first conductor born and educated in the united states of america to receive worldwide acclaim. Featured in the musical west side story, america has music by leonard bernstein and lyrics by stephen sondheim. The copsschrank and krupkedont get first names either. Irving shulman 191995 was a novelist and screenwriter, known for his depictions of urban life. Wakefield youth music theatre present west side story at theatre royal wakefield from 2 to 11 september 2010.
Sep 24, 2019 when it opened on september 26, 1957, west side story received a mixed critical response. While many fans of the classic musical would disagree, sondheim describes the score as embarrassing and said in. From the first notes to the final breath, west side story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. The importance of west side story essay 980 words bartleby. Mar 17, 2010 wakefield youth music theatre present west side story at theatre royal wakefield from 2 to 11 september 2010. And unlike the typical broadway musical of the 1950s and before, west side story does not offer audiences a happy ending. From the silver screen to the great white wayone of the greatest stories of all time.
West side story 1961 is an energetic, widelyacclaimed, melodramatic musical a modernday, loose retelling of shakespeares romeo and juliet tragedy of feuding families, although the setting is the upper west side of new york city in the late 1950s with conflict between rival street gangs rather than families. Shortly before the premiere on 26 september 1957 laurents remarked. West side story was actually the first piece of popular music our family ever allowed into the home. The story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, an ethnic, bluecollar neighborhood in the early 1960s, much of the. Whenever i see a movie or stage production of a play, i am always interested to read the actual book to have a different perspective on the characters and overall plot. By subscribing, you agree to receive email from the promoters regarding west. On september 26, 1957, west side story, composed by leonard bernstein. Crazy to think that what happens takes place in that time frame. Lawrence, including dozens of production shots from west side story. Written in the mid1950s, west side story showcased adult themes and harsh. Powell, with his sweet manner and achingly lovely voice, is exceptional. West side story shows how racism and xenophobia create a system that dooms the youths of working class families. Leonard bernstein, jerome robbins, and the road to west side.
Its teamrobbins, bernstein, book by arthur laurents, lyrics by the. It starred carol lawrence as maria west side story opened on broadway at the winter garden theatre on 26 september 1957, and on the west end at her majestys theatre on 12. Arthur laurents book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding. The feuding families become two warring new york city gangsthe white jets led by riff and the latino sharks, led by bernardo. He toured the world many times over and in 1953 became the first american to. He is perhaps best known for his long conducting relationship with the new york philharmonic, which included the acclaimed young peoples concerts series, and his compositions including west side leonard bernstein was an american. Leonard bernstein, jerome robbins, and the road to west. Very interesting to compare contrast on that side of the. This area is full of west side story has been a play that i have been wanting to read for quite a long time. Conceived in 1949, west side story has a serious message that pleads for. West side story is the awardwinning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy romeo and juliet.
Despite all the topical relevance, the authors of west side story were not concerned to present concrete social criticism or authentic documentation of social phenomena. How we made west side story i wanted to be the first guy to use a fourletter word in a musical but the line ended up as krup you instead interviews by chris wiegand. As west side story celebrates its 60th anniversary, it stands as more than art. West side story is a tragic love story set in new york city in the mid1950s on the west side of the city. Although look never ran the article, the photographs, several of which are seen here for the first time, offer rare views of the original broadway production. Published april 15th 1990 by pocket books first published 1961.
West side story was originally about jews and catholics. Director jerome robbins, who first proposed the idea for west side story. This is the place for you if youve ever been involved in, or infatuated with, west side story as an actor, singer, dancer, musician, producer, director, designer, crew or just as important as a fan. Works stage west side story 1957 leonard bernstein. West side story is a musical with a book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein and lyrics by stephen sondheim. West side story musical by bernstein and sondheim and. When it opened on september 26, 1957, west side story received a mixed critical response. When stephen sondheim talks about west side story decades after its broadway debut in 1957, it is clear that for him, most of the songs did not hold up well over time. A boy like that whod kill your brother, forget that boy and find another. Two youngsters from rival new york city gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy. This groundbreaking collaboration among bernstein, jerome robbins conception and choreography, arthur laurents book, and stephen sondheim lyrics captured the fiber of american society through its best and worst characteristics.