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Overview

Synopsis

Inspired by the timeless story of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story takes Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, and places them in the vibrant battleground of New York City’s West Side in the 1950s. In the midst of the deep-seated rivalry between the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks, and the white gang, the Jets, Maria and Tony discover that ancient grudges are no match for true love. Their warring factions, however, refuse to back down, and the “rumbles”, romance, and resentment lead the bloody path to the lovers’ ultimate, tragic conclusion. With soaring, sophisticated, and diverse melodies, energetic and athletic dance battles, and its remarkably salient social message, West Side Story remains one of musical theatre’s most revolutionary and most loved treasures.

Show Information

Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1957
Genres
Drama
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
1950s, new york city's west side
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Heavy
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Early Teen Characters

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Bernardo

Lead

Male

Baritone

Maria

Lead

Female

Soprano

Tony

Lead

Male

Tenor

Riff

Lead

Male

Tenor

Anita

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Chino

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Action

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Detective Schrank

Featured

Male

Spoken

Doc

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Officer Krupke

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Diesel

Featured

Male

Baritone

Baby John

Featured

Male

Baritone

A-Rab

Featured

Male

Baritone

Snowboy

Featured

Male

Baritone

Velma

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Graziella

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Pepe

Featured

Male

Baritone

Consuelo

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Rosalia

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Glad Hand

Featured

Male

Spoken

Anybodys

Featured

Female

Spoken

Jets

Ensemble

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Jet Girls

Ensemble

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Sharks

Ensemble

Male

Tenor, Baritone, Bass

Shark Girls

Ensemble

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto

Songs

Act I

  • *Prologue (Instrumental) – Jets and Sharks
  • *Jet Song – Riff, Action, Baby John, A-Rab, Snowboy and Jets
  • Something's Coming – Tony
  • *Dance At The Gym (Instrumental) – Jets and Sharks
  • Maria – Tony
  • *America – Anita, Rosalia, Shark Girls
  • Balcony Scene (Tonight)– Tony and Maria
  • *Cool – Riff and Jets
  • One Hand, One Heart – Tony and Maria

Act II

  • *Tonight Quintet and Chorus – Anita, Tony, Maria, Bernardo, Riff, Jets and Sharks
  • *The Rumble (Dance) – Jets and Sharks
  • I Feel Pretty – Maria, Consuelo, Rosalia, Teresita, Francisca and Shark Girls
  • *Somewhere – Company
  • *Gee, Officer Krupke – Action, Snowboy, A-Rab, Diesel, Baby John and the Jets
  • A Boy Like That/I Have A Love – Anita and Maria
  • Finale – Tony and Maria

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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