What is the literary basis for West Side Story quizlet?

What is the literary basis for West Side Story quizlet?

In West Side Story, Tony is: a former member of the Jets. The literary basis for My Fair Lady was: George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.

Which Shakespeare play is the literary basis of West Side Story?

Without a doubt, American composer Leonard Bernstein's most significant contribution to the world of Shakespeare was West Side Story, the 1957 smash Broadway hit adaptation of Romeo and Juliet written and created by Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, and Bernstein.

What style is West Side Story?

A Classic Musical, But Is The Music Classical? West Side Story is classical music, but it isn't opera by any means. It is musical theater done in an elaborate manner, musically very rich, and that's what makes it classical.

What was West Side Story influenced by?

Romeo and Juliet Inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, the story is set in the mid-1950s in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, then a multiracial, blue-collar neighborhood.

What is Tony’s full name in West Side Story?

Irving Shulman wrote the novelization of Arthur Laurents' "book" in which he provided family names for the characters: Tony (Anton) Wyzek, Maria (and Bernardo) Nunez, Riff Lorton, Chino Martin, Anita Palacio, and (now it can be told) Glad Hand was "christened" Murray Benowitz!

Who wrote the lyrics for West Side Story?

Stephen SondheimWest Side Story / Lyricist

What was the original concept of West Side Story?

The original idea for “West Side Story” dates back to 1949 when Jerome Robbins conceived of a musical update of “Romeo & Juliet.” Originally set on the New York's East Side, and conceived as a societal war between Jews and Gentiles, “West Side Story” eventually morphed into a tale of two street gangs, the mostly Puerto …

Is West Side Story based on true events?

That said, West Side Story isn't based on a true story. Even though West Side Story has been associated with a modern and American telling of Romeo and Juliet for decades, Tony Kushner, who worked on the screenplay of the 2021 flick, thinks differently.

Is West Side Story a concept musical?

West Side Story: Colouring the Racial Divide Although this musical predates the vogue era of concept shows, it is considered one of the earlier forays into this genre. Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Arthur Laurents wrote the story in 1957.

Is West Side Story jazz?

Kenton's West Side Story is an album by the Stan Kenton Orchestra recorded in 1961 and released by Capitol Records. It won the Grammy Award in 1962 for Best Jazz Performance – Large Group (Instrumental)….

Kenton's West Side Story
Studio Goldwyn Sound Stage, Hollywood, California
Genre Jazz
Length 39:13
Label Capitol

What type of musical influences did the West Side Story have in it?

Non-classical elements of West Side Story include its use of Latin American and jazz influences. Bernstein took cues from composers like Aaron Copland and George Gershwin, who had previously integrated these musical styles in their own classical works.

Who is the tragic hero in West Side Story?

Despite all Tony's idealism, love, and hope, the hate he's fighting against is stronger than all that. All his attempts to fix things fail, and he ends up killing his lover's brother and having to go on the run. He feels every moment of it, too, which is why he's ultimately a tragic character.

Is Anita Maria’s sister?

Overview. Anita is a Puerto Rican immigrant who came to America shortly after her boyfriend, Sharks leader Bernardo, and works as a seamstress in New York. She lives in the south side of town in the same apartment complex as Bernardo and his younger sister, the idealistic Maria.

Is West Side Story Based on a true story?

That said, West Side Story isn't based on a true story. Even though West Side Story has been associated with a modern and American telling of Romeo and Juliet for decades, Tony Kushner, who worked on the screenplay of the 2021 flick, thinks differently.

Why did Sondheim write West Side Story?

Sondheim said he was working on music for a different show, and not looking for another job, when he was asked to be the lyricist on the original 1957 Broadway musical for "West Side Story," a Romeo and Juliet story set in the slums of old Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Was West Side Story based on true events?

That said, West Side Story isn't based on a true story. Even though West Side Story has been associated with a modern and American telling of Romeo and Juliet for decades, Tony Kushner, who worked on the screenplay of the 2021 flick, thinks differently.

What is controversial about West Side Story?

Nine months after shooting for West Side Story had wrapped, Elgort was publicly accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old girl in 2014 when he was 20. Considering he is the male lead, Elgort's role in the film is impossible to ignore.

Why is it called West Side Story?

Question: Where exactly on the "West Side" is the musical West Side Story set? The simple answer to this question is that the west side in West Side Story is the west side of Manhattan. "At the time. that was kind of a dangerous neighborhood full of gangs," said musical expert Steven Suskin.

What makes West Side Story unique?

Narrative dances had appeared in musicals for many years, but the bold innovation of West Side Story is that it uses dance to tell most of the story. The whole conflict between the warring gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, is set up in the opening, through choreography.

Who is the composer of West Side Story?

Leonard BernsteinWest Side Story / Composer West Side Story, theatre music by American composer Leonard Bernstein that premiered August 19, 1957, in Washington, D.C., before moving to Broadway for a second opening on September 26, 1957. The musical is a 20th-century American adaptation of the Shakespearean tale of Romeo and Juliet.

Who plays trumpet in West Side Story 2021?

Jumaane Smith is known for West Side Story (2021), Great Performances (1971) and An Audience with …

Why does Maria sleep with Tony?

To adults, it is clear that Maria and Tony sleep together after Tony admits he killed her brother — and they do more than simply rest their eyes. To younger viewers (especially those who haven't had "the talk"), it might simply seem like all that making out has bonded them very quickly.

What is the conflict in West Side Story?

The Conflict in West Side Story is the rivalry between the two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, and the developing relationship between Tony of the Jets and Maria of the Sharks. This conflict ends up not being completely resolved. The two rival gangs agree to have a rumble to settle their dispute once and for all.

Why did Maria sleep with Tony?

To adults, it is clear that Maria and Tony sleep together after Tony admits he killed her brother — and they do more than simply rest their eyes. To younger viewers (especially those who haven't had "the talk"), it might simply seem like all that making out has bonded them very quickly.

Who is the villain in West Side Story?

Bernardo mocking Shrank. Bernardo (last name unknown) is the main antagonist of the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story as well as its film adaptations.

How did Stephen Sondheim feel about West Side Story?

16, 1974. Sondheim said the idea of Spielberg doing a reimagined version of "West Side Story" "excited" him. He said he liked the idea of adding more grit to the movie. "There was a sense of confidence I think and a sense that Spielberg knew what the style was going to be …

Why was West Side Story groundbreaking?

When West Side Story debuted on Broadway in September 1957, the show immediately gained fame for its bold artistic vision and unflinching engagement with social concerns of the day: racial unrest, urban gang violence, immigration and altercations with the police.

Why is West Side Story significant in the development of the musical?

West Side Story gave Bernstein the opportunity to write some of the most exciting dance music ever written for the stage, and for Robbins to perfect a style in which the macho posturing and violence of young men could be made to seem real, in a ballet.

Was West Side Story based on a true story?

That said, West Side Story isn't based on a true story. Even though West Side Story has been associated with a modern and American telling of Romeo and Juliet for decades, Tony Kushner, who worked on the screenplay of the 2021 flick, thinks differently.

Why did West Side Story bomb?

'West Side Story' marketing relied too much on Steven Spielberg's name. Disney's 20th Century Studios did their best to market West Side Story. However, there wasn't a whole lot to market about the new musical. Fans of the original 1957 Broadway musical and the 1961 film adaptation are a built-in audience.