West Side Story/Rita Moreno Test Review

What do you call a Puerto Rican person living in New York? Who came up with this name? What was this person’s occupation?

Nuyorican

Jesús Colón

What happened in 1917 that was important to Puerto Ricans, and what are the three things that it allowed them to do?

Awarded citizenship by Congress,

Travel Feely between countries, Run for local offices, serve in the U.S. military

Before West Side Story was a movie, what was it and how do you know it was very popular and successful?

It was a broadway musical and won several awards

What other famous story is West Side Story based off of and what plot do they share?

Romeo and Juliet

Young people from opposing sides fall in love, even though their relationship is doomed to fail

Please list and put in order starting with largest, the three U.S. cities that have the biggest Puerto Rican population

New York

Chicago

Philadelphia

In what year was West Side Story turned into a movie, and how do you it was also very popular?

1961

Nominated for 11 academy awards or Oscars, winning 10 including best picture

What two gangs are in west side story, and please indicate which were which

Sharks - Puerto Ricans

Jets - Whites

In what year was gang activity abundant in New York City? How many gangs were there said to be? What were the 4 gangs that were the most notorious?

1950s

150 gangs

Mau’s Mau’s, Bishops, Dragons, Egyptian kings

What are the names of the two characters in west side story that fall in love, and what makes their relationship challenging?

Tony and Maria, who are from opposing gangs

What are the 3 themes that West Side Story focuses on

Love rising above hatred, fear of immigrants, toxicity of racism

When and where does the story of west side story take place

New York City (upper manhattan) 1950’s

Where did the Puerto Ricans originally have to live in New York City but where are they living today

Banished to barrios/slum neighborhoods

Now Five burrows

please explain how the 3 numbers we had in our reading prove that there are a lot of Puerto Rican people in New York

Puerto Ricans = 12% of city’s overall population

80% of its Hispanic population

1,103,067 Puerto Ricans in New York State

What is the name of the only person that starred in both movies, and what kind of award did she win and for what? Please indicate if this was for the fist or second movie

Rita Moreno, Oscar for 1st movie

How old was Rita Moreno when she starred in the new, Steven Spielberg’s version of West Side Story? What was her character’s name, and what was so special about this character?

90

Valentina

New character created just for her

Besides acting in the New West Side Story, what other job for the movie did Rita do?

executive producer

What was Rita Moreno’s birth name? What was her nickname? After what year did she change her name to Rita Moreno?

Rosa Dolores Alverío

Rosita

1950

In what month, day and year was Rita Moreno born?

December 11, 1931

What 4 important Hollywood, not presidential, awards has Rita won? How many people is history have won all 4 of these awards, and how is Rita different from the other 2?

Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony

18 people and she was 3rd

First Latina

Emmy

Muppet show

1977

Outstanding performance in a variety or music program

Grammy

Electric Company

1972

Electric company album

Oscar

West Side Story

1961

Best Supporting Actress

Tony

The Ritz

1975

Best Featured Actress