The Story of West Side Story: From Stage to Screen
The Story of West Side Story From Stage to Screen
Top 10 Differences Between West Side Story (2021) & (1961)
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing the story of West Side Story: From Stage to Screen. For this video, we’ll be looking at this timeless musical’s evolution, from its stage inception, to its silver screen debut, to its relevance today. How were you introduced to “West Side Story?” Let us know in the comments. The idea for “West Side Story” was conceived in 1947, but the story’s roots can be traced back to the 16th century when William Shakespeare scribed a little play entitled “Romeo and Juliet.” Around the same time he won a Tony Award for choreographing “High Button Shoes,” Jerome Robbins approached composer Leonard Bernstein and playwright Arthur Laurents about turning Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy into a modern musical. Robbins envisioned the leads as an Irish Catholic male and a Jewish girl who immigrated from Israel. The star-crossed lovers would be torn between Catholic “Jets” and Jewish “Emeralds” set during Easter–Passover. Taking place on the Lower East Side, the musical was to be entitled “East Side Story.” While Laurents and Bernstein were enthusiastic, the trio noticed several parallels to the play “Abie’s Irish Rose.” They thus walked away from “East Side Story,” but the project gained momentum again while Laurents was working on a stage adaptation of the novel “Serenade.” Although that play never got off the ground, the experience introduced Laurents to an up-and-coming lyricist and composer named Stephen Sondheim. Laurents soon reconnected with Bernstein and the two discussed reworking “East Side Story” into a musical about rival gangs, an increasingly prominent social issue. Puerto Rican immigration to the U.S. would also become a key theme. Robbins loved this new direction, leaving the film adaptation of “The King and I” to work on “East Side Story,” later retitled “West Side Story.” Bernstein initially wanted the story to be set in Los Angeles, although New York naturally became the backdrop. The male lead evolved into a Polish-Irish teen named Tony while the leading lady became a Puerto Rican immigrant named Maria. Like its Shakespearean source material, Laurents’ book originally had the Juliet character fake her death and take her life. This was abandoned along with the Rosaline character and the presence of the protagonists’ parents. With Bernstein engulfed in the music, Betty Comden and Adolph Green were considered to write the lyrics, but they flew off to work on “Peter Pan.” Laurents thus turned to Sondheim, who accepted the gig with some encouragement from his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein. The song “One Hand, One Heart” was originally written for Bernstein’s operetta “Candide.” Hammerstein suggested moving “One Hand, One Heart” from the balcony to the bridal shop. In its place, the now-ironic “Tonight” was written. The music for “Gee, Officer Krupke” was also recycled from an unused “Candide” song. Sondheim had wanted to end the song with a certain four-letter word, but at the demands of Columbia Records, it was changed to “Krup you.” As everything seemed to be coming together, producer Cheryl Crawford backed out and nobody wanted to take her place. It looked like “West Side Story” may be scrapped altogether, but producer Hal Prince was convinced to step in thanks to his friend Sondheim and mentor George Abbott. During rehearsals, Robbins wanted to take a method acting approach, keeping Shark and Jet actors separated. Following tryouts in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, “West Side Story” made its Broadway debut in 1957 with Larry Kert as Tony, Carol Lawrence as Maria, and - perhaps the greatest breakthrough - Chita Rivera as Anita. “West Side Story” was mostly well-received by audiences and critics, especially for its innovative use of dance. While the notoriously negative Walter Kerr gave a mixed review, even he described Robbins’ choreography as “the most savage, restless, electrifying dance patterns we’ve been exposed to in a dozen seasons.” Yet, the show had a relatively short Broadway run of only 732 performances. At the Tonys, Robbins won for Best Choreography while Oliver Smith’s scenic design was also awarded. However, the show lost Best Musical to “The Music Man.” Today, it’s not uncommon for stage musicals to depict violent deaths, real-world issues, and tragic endings. “West Side Story” was ahead of its time, though, and the public wasn’t quite ready to fully embrace it. Nevertheless, “West Side Story” proved successful enough to inspire a film adaptation four years after its Broadway debut. Robbins was enlisted to direct the project, although he’d be paired with an established Hollywood director, Robert Wise. Although Robbins wanted a then-29-year-old Lawrence to reprise her role, Natalie Wood won the part of Maria after the producers saw her in “Splendor in the Grass.” Many high-profile stars were considered for Tony, including Burt Reynolds, Warren Beatty, and Elvis Presley. Russ Tamblyn, who was ultimately cast as Riff, also tried out for Tony before the filmmakers settled on Richard Beymer. Multiple ghost singers were hired as well, most notably Marni Nixon for Maria. Wood’s singing voice does pop up during Tony’s death, however. The film remained mostly faithful to its stage counterpart, although several songs were shifted around. Sondheim felt “Gee, Officer Krupke” and “I Feel Pretty” should both take place before the rumble, better suiting the optimistic first act. “Cool” was moved to the considerably darker second half while “America” now took place between “Maria” and “Tonight.” Wise brought a cinematic eye to the story, a highlight being the establishing helicopter shots of New York. With Robbins handling the choreography, the directing duo found a perfect balance of gritty realism and whimsy. The production wasn’t without setbacks, however. The film ran over budget and behind schedule with numerous injuries. Tensions escalated when the producers gave Robbins the boot, leaving his assistants to finish the unfilmed dance numbers. Wise still felt that he should share directing credit with Robbins, who continued to provide insight even after his dismissal. Despite these hurdles, “West Side Story” opened to rave reviews, became the highest-grossing film of that year, and garnered eleven Academy Award nominations. To guarantee his choreography wouldn’t go unrecognized, Robbins received an Honorary Oscar. Robbins also shared in a Best Director win with Wise while George Chakiris won Best Supporting Actor for playing Bernardo while Rita Moreno won Best Supporting Actress for playing Anita. “West Side Story” has since been revived on Broadway in 1964, 1980, and 2009. Karen Olivo would win a Tony for her turn as Anita in the latter production. Another revival hit Broadway in February 2020, cutting “I Feel Pretty” and introducing several modern innovations. With COVID on the rise, the timing wasn’t on this revival’s side. Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation was set to premiere later that year, but the studio pushed it back to December 2021. While the new film has some star power in Ansel Elgort’s Tony, Spielberg primarily sought out rising talent with Rachel Zegler making her feature debut as Maria. The remake isn’t straying too far from its predecessor’s roots, casting Moreno as Valentina, who serves as a replacement for Doc. Spielberg’s film will also include more Black characters, including Curtiss Cook as a new addition named Abe. The remake’s aim is to be “more representative,” seeing how the original film had several non-Latino actors in Hispanic roles. Moreno, who was born in Puerto Rico, was asked to have her skin darkened, which she “really resented.” Those issues aside, most would agree that the 1961 film still holds up as one of the greatest movie musicals ever made. Aside from its craft, performances, and music, why do we keep coming back to “West Side Story?” Perhaps it’s because youth violence and prejudice are every bit as relevant today as they were in the 50s and 60s. Whether you think nothing has changed or that progress is slowly being made, we’re still searching for a new way of living and a way of forgiving. A musical might not solve these problems, but its message can bring us one step closer to that peaceful, quiet place, somehow, someday, somewhere.
