West Side Story
A landmark musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
West Side Story is a musical that came together through the work of four key people: Jerome Robbins came up with the concept, Leonard Bernstein wrote the music, Stephen Sondheim supplied the lyrics, and Arthur Laurents crafted the book. The plot takes its inspiration from Shakespeare’s *Romeo and Juliet*, shifting the action to the mid-1950s on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a working-class, multiracial neighborhood at the time. The story centers on the conflict between two teenage gangs: the Sharks, recent arrivals from Puerto Rico, and the Jets, who are white. They fight for control of the streets while the police try to keep the peace. The main character, Tony, used to be a Jet and is best friends with the gang’s leader, Riff, but he falls for Maria, whose brother Bernardo leads the Sharks. The musical broke new ground in theatre with its grim tone, complex music, lengthy dance sequences, doomed romance, and its direct engagement with social issues.
The original Broadway production opened in 1957, directed and choreographed by Robbins, and it marked Sondheim’s first Broadway credit. It ran for 732 performances before heading out on tour. That production earned six Tony Award nominations and won two. The show also had a longer run in London’s West End, plus numerous revivals and international stagings. A 1961 film adaptation, co-directed by Robert Wise and Robbins, received eleven Academy Award nominations and won ten, including Best Picture. A later film version, directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 2021, also earned a Best Picture nomination, along with six other nods, and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
The idea for the musical first emerged in 1949, when Jerome Robbins approached Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents about adapting *Romeo and Juliet* for the stage. He wanted the conflict to be between a Catholic family and a Jewish family on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, set during Easter and Passover, with the female lead having survived the Holocaust and emigrated from Israel. The central tension would be antisemitism, with the Catholic “Jets” opposing the Jewish “Emeralds.” Laurents, eager to write his first musical, agreed right away. Bernstein wanted to treat the material as opera, but Robbins and Laurents pushed back, preferring to call it “lyric theater.” Laurents wrote a first draft titled *East Side Story*, but after finishin
- field
- Musical theatre
- known_for
- Adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set in 1950s New York, gang rivalry, and social commentary
Lore & Background
The musical originated in 1949 when Jerome Robbins approached Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents about a contemporary musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, initially focusing on a conflict between a Catholic family and a Jewish family on the Lower East Side. That project, called East Side Story, was shelved for almost five years. In 1955, after various collaborations and a shift in setting to the Upper West Side, the creative team reworked the story, changing the characters' backgrounds: the male lead became of Polish and Irish descent, and the formerly Jewish female lead became Puerto Rican. Stephen Sondheim joined as lyricist after Bernstein decided to focus solely on music, and the show was retitled West Side Story.
The original 1957 Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Robbins, marked Sondheim's Broadway debut. It ran for 732 performances before going on tour, was nominated for six Tony Awards, and won two. The show had an even longer-running West End production, a number of revivals, and international productions. A 1961 musical film adaptation, co-directed by Robert Wise and Robbins, was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won ten, including Best Picture. A 2021 film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with six additional nominations, winning for Best Supporting Actress.
Reader's Guide
West Side Story is significant for its integration of dance, music, and drama to address social issues such as ethnic conflict and juvenile delinquency, marking a turning point in musical theatre. The original 1957 Broadway production introduced Stephen Sondheim to Broadway and achieved critical success, while the 1961 film adaptation won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, cementing its cultural impact. The musical's legacy includes numerous revivals and international productions, as well as a 2021 film adaptation that earned multiple Academy Award nominations. Its sophisticated score, extended dance sequences, and tragic love story have influenced subsequent works in the genre.
Did You Know?
- The musical was originally conceived as East Side Story, focusing on a conflict between a Catholic family and a Jewish family.
- The original 1957 Broadway production marked Stephen Sondheim's Broadway debut.
- The 1961 film adaptation won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
- The 2021 film adaptation won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created West Side Story?
The musical was shaped by four principal collaborators: Jerome Robbins conceived the overall concept, Leonard Bernstein composed the score, Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics, and Arthur Laurents crafted the book.
What is West Side Story based on?
It transplants the central love story and tragic structure of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to a mid-1950s Upper West Side neighborhood in Manhattan. The Montague-Capulet feud becomes a rivalry between two teenage street gangs instead of two noble families.
Who are the two gangs in West Side Story?
The Jets are a group of white teenage boys, and the Sharks are Puerto Rican newcomers to the neighborhood. Both crews compete for control of the same stretch of street, and their escalating conflict drives the entire plot.
How does West Side Story end?
The story closes in tragedy: Maria is killed by a member of the rival gang, and Tony dies at her side moments later. Their deaths leave the two communities without any real resolution, underscoring the futility of the cycle of violence.
Why is West Side Story considered a landmark in musical theatre?
It is widely regarded as a turning point because it wove ballet, jazz, and large-scale orchestral writing into a single stage work while tackling serious social themes like racial tension and gang violence. Its cultural resonance in 1950s America helped redefine the range of subjects the genre could address.
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