West Side Story

New York City is historically famous as the birthplace of American street gangs (remember the Scorcese film Gangs of New York?). It’s sensible then, that West Side Story, a gangster love story based on Romeo and Juliet, takes place there in the 1950s. The classic musical theater production features a paradoxical script involving gangsters singing and dancing—and in one case, falling tragically in love. First produced on Broadway in 1957, West Side Story marked the debut collaboration between musical theater legends Steven Soundheim (lyrics) and Leonard Bernstein (music).

Aside from marking a turning point for American musical theater with its dark, tragic plot and complex score, West Side Story also became an Academy Award-winning film of the same name. Released in 1961, it holds the distinction of having won the most Academy Awards of any musical (10). Also notable: The film’s soundtrack went triple-platinum, won a Grammy and spent a record 54 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It was the top-selling album of the 1960s.

Broadway Sacramento’s touring version promised to be full of Jets and Sharks, energetic dancing, and a reminder of how good American musical theater can be when it’s spot-on.

Jonathan Mendick