What is the conflict of West Side Story?

What is the conflict of 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.

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 …

How did musical Theatre change West Side Story?

Arguably, its greatest influence was in the theatricality of its presentation—the seamlessness and cinematic flow of its staging—and the integration of script, song, dance, and set. In its original Broadway run, West Side Story ran for 732 performances—a success, but not a smash hit.

What role did prejudice play in West Side Story?

For instance, an act of prejudice in West Side Story was the Puerto Ricans disliking the Americans and vice versa. The American’s were prejudiced of the Puerto Ricans, so they did cruel things to them. Another act of prejudice in West Side Story was the Jets having prejudice against Anybody’s joining their gang.

How is the conflict resolved in West Side Story?

The conflict of West Side Story was resolved when Maria heard news that Tony had been killed. She then searches for him, and finds him just as he is shot by Chino. The two gangs come together to mourn the death of Tony and carry him off together.

What does Maria’s white dress symbolize in West Side Story?

Maria’s white dress is not only evocative of anxieties about preserving a chaste femininity, but it also contrib- utes to the film’s project of assuaging bourgeois anxiety surrounding miscege- nation.

What influenced West Side Story?

West Side Story is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. The story is set in the mid 1950s in the Upper West Side of New York City, then a multiracial, blue-collar neighborhood.

What race is Tony in West Side Story?

The Jewish girl – who eventually became the Puerto Rican Maria in West Side Story – was a holocaust survivor who had immigrated from Israel. The character that eventually became Tony – the Polish-Irish Catholic boy in West Side Story – was an Irish Catholic.

Why was West Side Story innovative?

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. This powerful way of moving had been developed in two previous Robbins/Bernstein collaborations: the ballet, Fancy Free , and the musical they made from it, On The Town.

What race are the Jets in West Side Story?

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.

Are the actors in West Side Story white?

Maria and Bernardo are Puerto Rican, but Natalie Wood and George Chakiris, the actors who played them, are not Latinx. Both actors put on broad accents to seem more authentic, which just made the whole thing worse.

What are the causes of the tragedy in West Side Story?

Gangs, Peer Pressure and Values The belief systems of the Sharks and the Jets set the tragic events of West Side Story into motion.

When did the West Side Story come out?

Interestingly “West Side Story,” a retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” was praised by critics when it opened in 1957 for its realism and for taking audiences into a world of gang violence and poverty that finds “odd bits of beauty amid the rubbish of the streets,” according to Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times.

Are there any social issues in West Side Story?

Crimes really haven’t changed, only the faces attached to them have, and a lot of the social issues presented in West Side Story are definitely still relevant to today’s society. A main theme in “West Side Story” is racism.

When did the curtain go up on West Side Story?

On Sept. 26, 1957, Broadway changed forever when the curtain went up on “West Side Story.” The artistic innovations popped immediately: Instead of an overture, the orchestra played Leonard Bernstein’s jagged musical phrases, punctuated by actors snapping their fingers.

What was the main message of West Side Story?

The risk definitely paid off, because even today “West Side Story” still remains a very popular musical. The main message that this show is trying to convey to the audience is that it shouldn’t take a horrible tragedy to finally unite people.