Who composed West Side Story?

West Side Story/Composers
West Side Story, theatre music by American composer Leonard Bernstein that premiered August 19, 1957, in Washington, D.C., before moving to Broadway for a second opening on September 26, 1957. The musical is a 20th-century American adaptation of the Shakespearean tale of Romeo and Juliet.

Is West Side Story based on Shakespeare?

Story Sources. It is widely known that West Side Story (WSS) is based directly on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (R&J). Far less well known is the fact that Shakespeare based his play (1594) on other material, particularly a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke entitled The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562).

Why did Arthur Laurents write West Side Story?

As conceived by Robbins and Bernstein, West Side Story was to transpose Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to a tale of warring Catholics and Jews in New York (with the title East Side Story), but Laurents persuaded them that it would have more originality if based on the experience of Puerto Ricans in the city.

Was West Side Story based on a true story?

No, West Side Story is not based on a true story, but the musical’s setting and issues of race, social class, misogyny, and inequality are very much real. West Side Story was conceived by choreographer Jerome Robbins who wanted to adapt Romeo and Juliet into a musical.

Did Leonard Bernstein wrote the music for West Side Story?

West Side Story/Composers

Who tells Maria about Bernardo?

Anita later tells Maria of the impending brawl between the Sharks and the Jets tomorrow night. The brawl results in the death of Bernardo, Anita’s beloved. A grieving Anita arrives at Maria’s apartment. As Tony leaves, he tells Maria to meet him at Doc’s so they can run away to the country.

Why was Jerome Robbins removed from West Side Story?

In 1960, Robbins co-directed, with Robert Wise, the film adaptation of West Side Story. After about 45 days of shooting, he was fired when the production was considered 24 days behind schedule.

What is the message of West Side Story?

The hope of the end of the movie (as in the Shakespeare play that it is inspired by) is that the tragic death of the lover gives both sides the chance to realize how wrong they have been and perhaps a hope that they will learn to understand each other and work together. That message was apparently lost on Mr. Varela.

What ethnicity were 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.

How many ballets did Jerome Robbins create?

Among the more than 60 ballets he created are Fancy Free, Afternoon of a Faun, The Concert, Dances At a Gathering, In the Night, In G Major, Other Dances, Glass Pieces and Ives, Songs, which are in the repertories of New York City Ballet and other major dance companies throughout the world.

Where did Jerome Robbins go to school?

Jerome Robbins/Education

Did Bob Fosse do Chicago?

He was director and choreographer of Chicago in 1975, which also starred Verdon. … All That Jazz won four Academy Awards, earning Fosse his third Oscar nomination for Best Director. It also won the Palme d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.

What did Jerome Robbins do?

Jerome Robbins, original surname Rabinowitz, (born Oct. … Robbins was first known for his skillful use of contemporary American themes in ballets and Broadway and Hollywood musicals. He won acclaim for highly innovative ballets structured within the traditional framework of classical dance movements.

Who was Jerome Robbins influenced by?

George Balanchine
He returned to New York City Ballet three years later with Dances at a Gathering, one of his best-loved works, and never left. His style became increasingly abstract and classical, perhaps under the influence of his great idol George Balanchine, who headed the company.

Who inspired Katherine Dunham?

1922. In high school, Katherine Dunham joins the Terpsichorean Club and begins to learn a kind of free-style modern dance based on ideas of Jaques-Dalcroze and Rudolf von Laban. At fourteen, to help raise money for her church, she organizes a “cabaret party.” She is the producer, director, and star of the entertainment …

How did Jerome Robbins influence Bob Fosse?

Jerome Robbins (b. 1918) joined American Ballet Theatre in 1940 and launched his choreographic career with the ballet Fancy Free. … With this musical, Robbins blurred the lines between drama and dance as no one had done before. He also paved the way for a new era of choreographer-directors, including Bob Fosse.

Who is a judge on So You Think You Can Dance?

judge Nigel Lythgoe
So You Think You Can Dance judge Nigel Lythgoe has fans speculating that the Fox dance competition show could be returning this year.

Was Jerome Robbins a dancer?

Born on October 11, 1918 in New York, New York, Jerome Robbins went on to become a dancer and celebrated choreographer, earning raves for his ballet debut piece “Fancy Free.” He eventually served as director and/or choreographer on a number of musicals destined to become classics, including The King and I, West Side …

Who choreographed band wagon?

Michael Kidd
Michael Kidd, the award-winning choreographer of exuberant dance numbers for Broadway shows like “Finian’s Rainbow” and “Guys and Dolls” and Hollywood musicals including “The Band Wagon” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” died on Sunday at his home in Los Angeles.

What made Bob Fosse famous?

A trained dancer, Bob Fosse achieved success as a choreographer and director of stage and screen musicals. He set records with Tony and Academy Awards won for his work, which includes Pippin, Cabaret and Chicago.

What did Bob Fosse do in the Navy?

3. Bob Fosse was briefly in the Navy. Fosse was still in boot camp when World War II ended, so he spent the next year performing all over the South Pacific in the Navy’s entertainment troupe.

Who wrote the music for band wagon?

The Band Wagon/Music composed by