Handsome, sandyhaired polish, older teenager, who has outgrown the jets. Shulman also wrote the original treatment for rebel without a cause, the film that shot james dean to stardom. Shy, gentle, sweetfaced young boy, the intended husband of maria. Of mercutio, romeos best friend and main plucky comic relief. We are looking for cast members who, on stage, read agewise from the late teens to the mid twenties. The feuding families become two warring new york city gangsthe white jets led by riff and the latino sharks, led by bernardo. Apr 16, 2009 after the spectacular success of his recently directed remount of gypsy, with patti lupone, for which he wrote the 1959 book, laurent has again transformed his writers eye into a directors perspective on west side story, for which he wrote the book in 1957. West side story chapter 3 big trouble in this chapter maria. Where did the jets and the sharks decide to meet for their war council. Could you give me a short character analysis of the west. The juliet in this interpretation of shakespeares romantic tragedy is maria.
Winter garden theatre, new york 26 september, 1957 734 perfs her majestys theatre, london 12 december, 1958 1039 perfs story. But we do admit a certain sympathy for bernardo, who we see in the beginning as getting hassled by the jets for no reason. He is the author of ten books, including the novels the amboy dukes, cry tough, and the square trap, which were all adapted into movies. And he, who had been seeking something beyond the savagery of the streets, discovered it with her. Suggestions for places i can already find a character analysis will be. Find books like west side story from the worlds largest community of readers. This 39page guide for west side story by irving shulman includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 2 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. I would also add that marias character is based on juliets from shakespeares romeo and juliet the stories themselves of.
West side story is a musical with a book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein and. West side story character listing staples players blog. If you suddenly got a gift of money you had to spend on yourself, you would. Tony a romantic young man and former leader of the jets, he has found a new lifestyle now. Big deal a character in west side story by arthur laurents author, leonard bernstein composer, stephen sondheim lyricist, jerome robbins conceived by sex. Hes walking along, minding his own business, and the jets skunk him. West side story is a tragic love story set in new york city in the mid1950s on the west side of the city. Peter n the song america is sung by the puerto rican sharks. Immediately download the west side story summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching west side story.
Rival street gangs engage in relatively harmless activities until one fight spells tragedy for two young lovers. On the other hand, in the rise and fall of the broadway musical, mark grant concentrates on the growth of the musical in light of changes in technology and music, and in writing the book and lyrics. Inspired by the timeless story of romeo and juliet, west side story takes shakespeares starcrossed lovers, and places them in the vibrant battleground of new york city s west side in the 1950s. The story revolves around quarrelsome families of two new york city gangs the white jets led by the riff and the puerto rican sharks, led by bernardo. Write a description of what you think would have happened to tony and. Your father got a mansion in the south side located at the highest mountain in the woods. After the spectacular success of his recently directed remount of gypsy, with patti lupone, for which he wrote the 1959 book, laurent has again transformed his writers eye into a directors perspective on west side story, for which he wrote the book in 1957. West side story major character analysis supersummary. Should i just watch the movie, if so, where can i watch it. View quote singing gee, officer krupke, were very upset.
Murphy 7 december 2006 west side story chapter 3 in this chapter, anita is making the dress for maria. West side story is a musical tragedy film, directed by robert wise and jerome robbins, which is an awardwinning and adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy, romeo and juliet. Maria is the younger sister of bernardo, the leader of the sharks, and she has only recently moved to new york as an immigrant. Crazy to think that what happens takes place in that time frame. Bernardo will be brought to life by the highly experienced nida graduate nigel turnercarroll. Reviewed in the united states on december 27, 2019. The story is loosely based on shakespeares romeo and juliet, telling the tale of. West side story is the awardwinning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy romeo and juliet. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. On the contrary, the boys are singing about wanting to go back to puerto rico.
I would also add that marias character is based on juliets from shakespeares romeo and juliet the stories themselves of west side story and romeo. He and tony started the gang, and riff mentors the younger members. But marias brother was leader of the sharks and from the silver screen to the great white wayone of the greatest stories of all time. These include questions which involve close reading, writing and discussion. Could you give me a short character analysis of the west side. West side story summary and study guide supersummary.
Just as romeo and juliet are born to rival families, tony and maria are associated with rival gangs. West side story is groundbreaking in a lot of ways, but when it comes to delivering the information, it tends to rely on the triedandtrue technique of moving to the character we need to see when we need to see him or her, then moving back as the story demands. What is the full character analysis of maria in west side. West side story 1961 film literary elements gradesaver. The setting comes at least partially from the fact that everyone who created west side story was from new york. This series of contemporary plays includes structured gcse assignments for use by individuals or groups. West side story by irving shulman, 1967, pocket books edition, in english west side story 1967 edition open library. In the prologue, when the sharks threaten arab, riff goes at once to arab like a protective father 1. Big deal, character in west side story about the artists. Has a few lines in the stage show and a decent amount of stagetime, but hes a lot more prominent in the movie, to the point where he has what is effectively his own solo. Vocal parts and dance features will be assigned appropriate to our cast. Released in 1961, the soundtrack spent 54 weeks at no.
This quiz has been developed to test your knowledge about the. Action a jet who is always alert and loves to fight. Shakespeares romeo and juliet and west side story both have a lot in common as well as major differences that set them apart. Riff the leader of the jets, riff is described as glowing, driving, intelligent, slightly whacky 1. From the first notes to the final breath, west side story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. West side story synopsis west side story songs main page. They are getting ready for the party thats in a few hours. The score by leonard bernstein and lyrics by stephen sondheim are widely regarded as among the best ever written.
And unlike the typical broadway musical of the 1950s and before, west side story does not offer audiences a happy ending. West side story chapter 3 big trouble in this chapter. The two have been living together for years and are akin to brothers. This play places the romeo and juliet story in a new york gangwarfare context. Maria was young and innocent and had never known loveuntil tony. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding.
West side story characters test flashcards quizlet. The 1957 musical west side story was a collaboration among composer leonard bernstein, lyricist stephen sondheim, and choreographer jerome robbins. Very interesting to compare contrast on that side of the. This is a great product for fans of west side story. The members of the sharks, from puerto rico, are taunted by the jets, a white gang. West side story 1961 film character list gradesaver. Lieutenant to bernardo, typically proud, and resentful. In the midst of the deepseated 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. The film west side story is based on the 1950s broadway stage play, from an idea inspired by shakespeares romeo and juliet. A musical set on the west side of new york city around 1957. Get an answer for could you give me a short character analysis of the west side story characters tony, riff and bernardo. Goodreads members who liked west side story also liked.
The bad boys of west side story are the swarthy, hot tempered bernardo and the allamerican troublemaker riff. Hes hugely respected and admired by the rest of his gang heterosexual lifepartners. She falls in love with tony and finds herself at the center of the violent conflict between the two gangs. The scenes in the book mostly take place at a drugstore, a playground and on the streets. Glowing, driving, intelligent, slightly wacky leader of the jets. After owning their miserable little neighborhood for years, the jets, the fingersnapping street gang led by riff russ tamblyn, find themselves in a turf war with the upstart puerto rican sharks, led by bernardo george chakiris. Jets and sharks alike get to own what goes down in west side story. List the characters in west side story and their counterparts.
We are looking for cast members who, on stage, read agewise. West side story character descriptions jets and sharks. West side story 1961 film study guide contains a biography of. The story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, a multiracial, bluecollar neighborhood. West side story, book by irving shulman mass market. In my book club we took the comparison between this and the outsides. Anita is marias friend and, so far, has nothing to do with the plot.
The girls who sing in this song are singing about how much they hate puerto rico and love america. Tony the best friend of riff and former jet leader who has turned to an honest life. The story is loosely based on shakespeares romeo and juliet. Take this fun quiz and see which west side story character you most resemble. Irving shulman 191995 was a novelist and screenwriter, known for his depictions of urban life. The musical explores the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Swain spend an entire chapter on the analysis of west side story. Setting compare and contrast plot the book west side story takes place on the west side of new york city in the 1950s. West side story was a broadway musical by leonard bernstein that was turned into an awardwinning musical film. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published.
Arthur laurents book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. Who are the main characters and who played them in the movie. Whenever i see a movie or stage production of a play, i am always interested to read the actual book to have a different perspective on the characters and overall plot. The idea of taking one of the most famous and tragic love stories of all time and translating it to modern america, focusing it around the racial and inner city problems arising at that time and which still exist today. Handsome, proud, fluid leader of the sharks, with a sardonic chip on his shoulder. The question and answer section for west side story 1961 film is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Big deal a character in west side story by arthur laurents author, leonard bernstein. Also for montague as the leader of the jets since mercutio, as a relative of the prince of verona, was a neutral party. West side story shows how racism and xenophobia create a system that dooms the youths of working class families. Tony finds himself violently torn between his friendships and love. Youve reached the hub for any and all dramatica analysis of west side story. West side story is the soundtrack to the 1961 film west side story. Having said that, it still pulls off the odd trick or two that deviates from our. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
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