AAP: Music West Side Story – December 4, 2017 1957 musical by Arthur Laurents (book/script), Leonard Bernstein (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), Jerome Robbins (choreography) • Other musicals by Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930): A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Follies (1971) Company (1970), Sweeney Todd (1979), Into the Woods (1987) 1961 film – directed by Jerome Robbins • Won Academy Award (Oscars) for Best Picture (10 awards total) Plot: • Set in New York City • Based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet • Main characters are rivals in two gangs: Jets (Gang of white teenagers) Sharks (Gang of Puerto Rican teenagers) Tony – falls in love with Maria Maria – falls in love with Tony Riff – Tony’s best friend and leader of the Bernardo – Maria’s brother and leader of the gang gang Chino – Maria’s fiancé in an arranged marriage Anita – Bernardo’s girlfriend Themes of the musical: Gang violence Tension between different ethnic groups The immigrant experience in America The excitement of becoming an adult Tension between teenagers and adults or authority figures (like police officers) The songs in a musical help you get to know the characters through what they say and their musical style. “Jet Song” (sung by the Jets: Riff, Snowboy, Ice) RIFF You’re home with your own-- When you’re a Jet, When company’s expected, You’re a Jet all the way You’re well protected! From your first cigarette Then you are set To your last dyin’ day. With a capital J, When you’re a Jet, Which you’ll never forget Let them do what they can, Till they cart you away. You got brothers around, When you’re a Jet, You’re a family man! You stay You’re never alone, A Jet! You’re never disconnected! AAP: Music SNOWBOY Someone gets in our way When you’re a Jet, Someone don’t feel so well! You’re the top cat in town, Here come the Jets: You’re the gold-medal kid Little world, step aside! With the heavyweight crown! Better go underground, Better run, better hide! ICE When you’re a Jet, We’re drawin’ the line, You’re the swingin’est thing. So keep your noses hidden! Little boy, you’re a man; We’re hangin’ a sign Little man, you’re a king! Says “Visitors forbidden”-- And we ain’t kiddin! ALL Here come the Jets, The Jets are in gear, Yeah! And we’re gonna beat Our cylinders are clickin’! Every last buggin’ gang The Sharks’ll steer clear On the whole buggin’ street! ‘Cause every Puerto Rican’s A lousy chicken! One the whole! Buggin’--! ALL Ever --! Here come the Jets Lovin’--! Like a bat out of hell-- Street!! “Something’s Coming” (sung by Tony) Could be! With a click, with a shock, Who knows? Phone’ll jingle, door’ll knock There’s something’ due any day; Open the latch! I will know right away Something’s comin’, don’t know when, Soon as it shows. But it’s soon-- It may come cannonballin’ Catch the moon, Down through the sky, One-handed catch! Around the corner, Gleam in its eye, Or whistling’ down the river, Bright as a rose! Come on -- deliver Who knows? To me! It’s only just out of reach, Will it be? Yes, it will. Down the block, on a beach, Maybe just by holdin’ still Under a tree. It’ll be there! I got a feelin’ there’s a miracle due, Come on, something’, come on in, Gonna come true, Don’t be shy, Comin’ to me! Meet a guy, Pull up a chair! Could it be? Yes, it could. Something’s coming, something’ good, The air is hummin’, If I can wait! And something’ great is comin’! Something’s comin’, I don’t know what it is Who knows? But it is It’s only just out of reach, Gonna be great! Down the block, on a beach. Maybe tonight. “Maria” (sung by Tony) (spoken) Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria . Maria . All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single (sings) word . The most beautiful sound I ever heard: Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria . AAP: Music Maria! Maria! I've just met a girl named Maria, Say it loud and there's music playing, And suddenly that name Say it soft and it's almost like praying. Will never be the same To me. Maria, Maria! I'll never stop saying Maria! I've just kissed a girl named Maria, And suddenly I've found The most beautiful sound I ever heard. How wonderful a sound Maria. Can be! “America” (sung by Sharks girls: Anita, Rosalia) ANITA Lots of doors slamming in our face. Puerto Rico, My heart’s devotion-- ANITA Let it sink back in the ocean. I’ll get a terrace apartment. Always the hurricanes blowing, Always the population growing, BERNARDO And the money owing. Better get rid of your accent. And the sunlight streaming, And the natives steaming. ANITA AND THREE GIRLS I like the island Manhattan, Life can be bright in America. Smoke on your pipe and put that in. BERNARDO GIRLS (chorus) If you can fight in America. I like to be in America, Okay by me in America, ALL GIRLS Everything free in America - Life is all right in America. BERNARDO ALL BOYS For a small fee in America. If you’re all white in America. ANITA (an interlude of WHISTLING and DANCING) Buying on credit is so nice. ANITA AND CONSUELO BERNARDO Here you are free and you have pride. One look at us and they charge twice. BERNARDO ROSALIA Long as you stay on your own side. I’ll have my own washing machine. ANITA JUANO Free to be anything you choose. What will you have, though, to keep clean? ALL BOYS ANITA Free to wait tables and shine shoes. Skyscrapers bloom in America. BERNARDO ANOTHER GIRL Everywhere grime in America, Cadillacs zoom in America. Organized crime in America, Terrible time in America. ANOTHER GIRL Industry boom in America. ANITA You forget I’m in America. BOYS Twelve in a room in America. (An interlude of MORE DANCING) ANITA BERNARDO Lots of new housing with more space. I think I go back to San Juan BERNARDO ANITA AAP: Music I know a boat you can get on. ANITA BERNARDO Everyone there will have moved here. Everyone there will give big cheer. “Tonight” (sung by Tony and Maria) MARIA TONY Only you, you’re the only thing I’ll see forever, Tonight, tonight, In my eyes, in my words and in everything I do, It all began tonight, Nothing else but you I saw you and the world went away. Ever! MARIA TONY Tonight, tonight, And there’s nothing for me but Maria, There’s only you tonight, every sight that I see is Maria. What you are, what you do, what you say. MARIA TONY Tony, Tony… Today, all day I had the feeling A miracle would happen -- TONY I know now I was right. Always you, every thought I’ll ever know, Everywhere I go, you’ll be. BOTH For here you are MARIA And what was just a world is a star All the world is only you and me! Tonight! “Gee, Officer Krupke” (sung by Jets boys: Riff, Snowboy, Ice, Action) TIGER (spoken) Deep down inside us there is good! (imitating Officer Krupke) Hey, you! RIFF There is good! RIFF (spoken) Me, Officer Krupke? ALL There is good, there is good, TIGER (spoken) There is untapped good. (as Krupke) Like inside, the worse of us is good. Yeah, you! Gimme one good reason For not draggin’ ya down to the TIGER (imitating Krupke) Stationhouse, ya punk. That’s a touchin’ good story. RIFF (sings) RIFF Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke, Lemme tell it to the world! Ya gotta understand-- It’s just our bringin’ upke TIGER (imitating Krupke) That gets us outta hand. Just tell it to the Judge. Our mothers all are junkies, Our fathers all are drunks. RIFF (**to Snowboy) Golly Moses -- natcherly we’re punks. Dear kindly Judge, your Honor, My parents treat me rough. ALL With all their marijuana, Gee, Officer Krupke, we’re very upset; They won’t give me a puff. We never had the love that every They didn’t wanna have me, Child oughta get. But somehow I was had. We ain’t no delinquents, Leapin’ lizards --that’s what I’m so bad! We’re misunderstood. AAP: Music SNOWBOY (imitating a Judge) RIFF (spoken) Right! Hey, I got a social disease! Officer Krupke, you’re really a square; This boy don’t need a judge, he ACTION (spoken as psychiatrist) Needs a analysis’s care! So take him to a social worker! It’s just his neurosis that oughta be curbed-- **He’s psychologically disturbed. RIFF (to ARAB)(sings) Dear kindly social worker, RIFF They tell me get a job, I’m disturbed! Like be a soda-jerker, Which means like be a slob. ALL It’s not I’m anti-social, We’re disturbed, we’re disturbed, I’m only anti-work. We’re the most disturbed, Gloryosky, that’s why I’m a jerk! Like we’re psychologically disturbed. ARAB (as social worker) SNOWBOY (still acting part of Judge)(spoken) Eek! Hear ye, Her ye! In the opinion Officer Krupke, you’ve done it again. Of this court, this child is This boy don’t need a job, he needs a Depraved on account he ain’t had a normal Year in the pen. home. It ain’t just a question of misunderstood; Deep down inside him, he’s no good! RIFF (spoken) Hey, I’m depraved on account I’m deprived! RIFF I’m no good! SNOWBOY (as judge - spoken) So take him to a headshrinker.