WELCOME TO THE 60S: WEST SIDE STORY

SUMMARY

West Side Story is the award-winning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy "Romeo

and Juliet". On the west side of New York City, the Jets and the Sharks are Polish and

Puerto Rican gangs respectively who hate each other and who battle each other for territory

in their neighborhood. Their feud makes a small connection when at a gymnasium dance,

Tony, one of the founders of the Jets but who is now inactive in the gang, and Maria,

the recently arrived sister of the Sharks' leader Bernardo, spot each other across the crowded

room and fall in love at first sight. For many of the male gang members, that connection

in the last straw in their feud that leads to the decision to have a rumble to determine territory

once and for all. Conversely, Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend, supports Maria's decision to

romance whomever she wants, even a Jet. However, even Anita may be able to endure

so much in her stance to support true love. As Maria and Tony try to meet each other

clandestinely at any opportunity, Maria makes a request of him to foster peace between the

Jets and Sharks, which inadvertently leads to a series of tragic events not only for the

collective but personally for Maria and Tony.

PREMIER 

Prior to his arrival on Broadway, West Side Story was performed on a trial basis at the
National Theater in Washington DC and at the Erlanger Theater in Philadelphia between
August and September 1957. The official New York premiere took place on September 26, 1957
at the Winter Garden Theater, with Larry Kert as Tony, Carol Lawrence as Maria, Chita Rivera
as Anita, Ken Le Roy as Bernardo and Michael Callan as Riff.

The show received favorable reviews and in the 1958 edition of the Tony was nominated in
six categories, finally winning the awards for the best choreography and the best stage design.

CAST (MAIN CHARACTERS)

Carol Lawrence as Maria, Bernardo’s younger sister. She falls in love with Tony despite of being the arranged fiancée of a Sharks member called Chino.

Larry Kert as Tony, co-founder and one time member of the Jets and best friend of Riff. He works at Doc’s drug store and becomes Maria’s lover.

Michael Callan as Riff, leader of the Jets, Tony’s best friend.

Chita Rivera as Anita, Bernardo’s girlfriend, and Maria’s closest intimate.

Ken Le Roy as Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, Maria’s older brother and Anita’s boyfriend.

Simon Oakland as Police LT Schrank, a detective.

William Bramley as Police SGT. Krupke, a brusque beat cop.

Art Smith as Doc, Tony’s boss and drugstore owner.

DIRECTOR

Jerome Robbins

Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz was born in 1918, and died in 1998 (80 years old). His family changed their legal name to Robbins in the 20’s. 

Robbins began studying modern dance in high school, where he learned how to express emotions to other people. In 1937 started appearing in other musicals as a dancer, just until he joined Ballet Theater in 1940.

After a long time with the company, he left just because he wanted to start directing musicals instead of taking part in them directly. He represented musiclas such as Bells are Ringing (1956), Peter Pan (1955) and West Side Story (1957).

After winning recognition for portraying West Side Story, he continued his career until 4 years after West Side Story’s musical, when he was asked to direct a movie of the same name, which he agreed. 

In the late 70’s he continued to choreograph and stage product for the New York Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet, and so he becamen de master of Ne York Ballet in 1972.

In the 90’s he had a bycilcew accident, followed by a heart-valved surgery in 1994, but this would not stop him from producing his las project, the ballet Les Noces, in 1998, the same year of his death. He suffered a stroke in July 1998, dying at his home in New York.

Screenwriter

Ernest Lehman

Ernest Paul Lehman was born in 1915 and died in 2005. He was an American screenwriter nominated six times for Academy Awards for his screenplay during his career, but did not win any of them.

He is from a wealthy jewish family until the Great Depression, when they had lots of financial losses. After graduation he started working as a freelance writer.  After all his previous jobs (such as an amateur radio member), he took part in productions like west Side Story (1954), The Sound of Music (1965) and Sabrina (1954).

He also collaborated with the famous film director Alfred Hitchcock in his North by Northwest (1959) film. Lehman also tried to enter the world of producing with Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) or Portnoy’s Complaint (1972).

He died at UCLA Medical Centre after a prolonged illnes and buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park at the age of 89 years old.