West Side Story

Prologue

* opening is a carefully choreographed, half-danced/half-mimed ballet of sorts.
* shows the growing tensions between the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang, and the Jets, a gang made up of "American" boys.
* incident between the Jets and Shark leader, Bernardo, escalates into an all out fight between the two gangs. Officers Schrank and Krupke arrive to break up the fight.

Act 1 Section 1

* Detective Schrank tries to get the Jets to tell him which Puerto Ricans are starting trouble in the neighborhood - Jets won’t tell him
* Jets decide they need a rumble as they don’t like the sharks coming on their ‘turf’ - even if winning requires guns and knives
* Riff plans to discuss with Bernado which weapons can be used
* Riff wants Tony to be his right hand man for this despite him not being around for a while ( JET SONG)

Act 1 Section 2

* Riff goes to see Tony @ Docs drugstore
* Tony is not interested in going to the dance, he is waiting for something ( SOMETHING’S COMING)

\
* Anita and Maria get ready for the dance
* Anita is knowing, sexual and sharp.
* Maria is excited, enthusiastic and childlike, but also growing into an adult.
* Maria is going with Chino who she is expected to marry although she has no feelings for him

Act 1 Section 3

* dance in local gym, they all dance separately
* the officers try to get them to get along, a ‘social experiment’ but they end up segregating themselves again ( MAMBO )
* Tony and Maria meet and there is an instant connection
* War council with Riff and Bernado
* Tony is elated ( MARIA )

\
* Tony finds Maria’s fire escape and calls her out. When she comes they sing ( TONIGHT ) and profess love for each other
* next day, disagreement over America. Bernado and friends think they are treated differently to people like Tony
* Anita's friends, Rosalia, claims to be homesick for Puerto Rico. While Rosalia expounds on the beauties of the country, Anita responds with why she prefers her new home ("America").

Act 1 Section 4

* At drugstore, Jets wait for Sharks
* Doc doesn’t want them fighting, calls them hoodlums
* Doc doesn't understand why the boys are making trouble for the Puerto Ricans, and the boys respond that the Sharks make trouble for them.
* Riff tells them that they have to save their steam for the rumble and keep cool, rather than freaking out ( COOL )

\
* when Tony arrives, convinces them to fair game with no weapons
* as tony and Doc close up shop, he reveals he is in love with Maria
* next day, Anita is just about to leave when Tony arrives - promises not to tell
* Maria asks Tony to stop rumble, he says yes
* fantasize about being together ( ONE HAND, ONE HEART )
* later, the members of the ensemble wait expectantly for the fight, all for different reasons ( TONIGHT QUINTET ).

\
* at rumble, prepare to fight
* Bernado kills Riff, then Tony kills Bernado
* everyone flees

Act 2 Section 1

* ( I Feel Pretty )
* chino tells maria how tony killed bernado
* tony confesses on her fire escape ( SOMEWHERE )

\
* jets regroup as no one has seen tony'
* ( GEE OFFICER KRUPLE
* Anybodys tells them abt Tony he uses this information to get the boys to treat her like one of the gang. The Jets agree that they need to find Tony and warn him about Chino.

\
* Anita finds Tony and Maria
* Anita and Maria argue over loving Tony("A Boy Like That / I Have a Love")
* Anita detained for questioning, Maria goes to tell Doc about Anita being late

\
* Jets arrive at Doc’s learning that her and Tony are in the basement
* Anita arrives, Jets recognize her and assault her
* Rita breaks it up and scolds the boys, saying how this is not who they are and she is disgusted
* Anita, disgusted and hurt, lies to Doc and tells him to relay a message to Tony: Chino has shot Maria, and he will never see her again.

\
* Rita tells Tony, and he is heartbroken
* runs to streets and tells Chino to come find him, anybodys tries to get him away but he shrugs him off
* Maria appears in the street – much to Tony's surprise – and they run towards each other. In that moment, Chino steps out of the shadows and shoots Tony, who falls into Maria's arms, gravely wounded.
* Jets, Sharks and Doc appear on the street. Maria picks up the gun and points it all of them, asking Chino if there are enough bullets to kill all of them and herself, as well. The depths of her sadness and anger move everyone as she breaks down over Tony's body. Officers Krupke and Schrank arrive. They stand with Doc, watching as two boys from each gang pick up Tony's body and form a processional. The rest follow the processional, with Baby John picking up Maria's shawl, giving it to her and helping her up. As Maria follows the others, the adults continue to bear silent witness ("Finale").

\

Important to Know

Written by Arthur Laurents

Music by Leonard Berstein

Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Choreography by Jerome Robbins

Original Broadway Production premiered in the Winter Garden Theatre, 26 September 1957

Unconventional Instruments:

Mandolin, Bongos, Cowbells, Conga, Timbales, Police Whistle, Castanets, Maracas, Claves

Use of tritone (aka. Augmented fourth/Diminished fifth)

• Separated by 3 whole tones

• creates dissonance and musical tension

• Acts as musical representation of opposing gangs

• Found in dominant 7th chord (5th and 7th)

e.g) “Maria”