Bernstein - Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

The final item in the concert is the Symphonic Dances from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story.

For nearly seven decades, West Side Story has been recognised as a masterpiece: one that redefined American musical theatre. Conceived as a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, its journey from a 1949 concept to the 1961 and 2021 movies is a saga of creative tension, social upheaval, and some of the most romantic music ever composed.

The creation of West Side Story was anything but smooth. In 1949, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, and Arthur Laurents conceived of an “East Side Story”, a clash between Catholic and Jewish families on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The project was shelved for years because the collaborators felt the material was too similar to existing plays. In 1955, headlines about the Chicago riots in Los Angeles broke, and they found their modern spark, shifting the locale to the West Side and the conflict to white “Jets” and Puerto Rican “Sharks”.

Funding was another hurdle. The original producer, Cheryl Crawford, pulled out just two months before rehearsals, saying that the show was too dark and depressing. Political tension also simmered backstage: Bernstein and Laurents had been blacklisted for alleged communist activities, yet they had to collaborate with Robbins, who had famously cooperated with the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Leonard Bernstein composed the score concurrently with his operetta Candide, resulting in a fascinating exchange of musical material between the two shows. “One Hand, One Heart” was originally intended for Cunegonde, and the music of “Gee, Officer Krupke” was pulled from the Venice scene.

For the 1957 Broadway debut, Bernstein insisted on casting performers who sounded like real “kids” rather than professional singers to maintain the show’s gritty authenticity and avoided using vocal pyrotechnics for their own sake.

The original 1957 Winter Garden Theatre production starred Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence and launched Stephen Sondheim’s career. The 1961 film, co-directed by Robert Wise and Robbins, became a global phenomenon, winning 10 Academy Awards. Notably, Marni Nixon dubbed Natalie Wood’s singing, and Jim Bryant dubbed Richard Beymer.

Sixty years later, Steven Spielberg released a 2021 reimagining with Tony Kushner’s script and Justin Peck’s choreography. This version aimed for greater 1950s New York authenticity, with Rita Moreno—the 1961 Anita—now playing Valentina.

Even in West Side Story’s darkest moments, the dreamlike “Somewhere” conveys hope, imagining a place where Tony and Maria’s love is free from prejudice and violence.

What better music can there be for a Valentine’s Day weekend? West Side Story is a contemporary retelling of one of the most famous literary love stories, but here the star-crossed lovers are are Tony and Maria, not Romeo and Juliet.