When they first conceived the show in 1949, robbins, bernstein and laurents set their story on the east side of manhattan, and gave it the working title east side story. Baltimore symphony orchestra, maryland, usa west side story. Whittled down to one hour and fortyfive minutes, west side story with book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein, lyrics by stephen sondheim, and. Laurents wrote the book for west side story, which updated romeo and juliet to the streets of new york, with gangs called the jets and the sharks replacing the houses of. With book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein, and lyrics by stephen sondheim, the original 1957. Playwrightdirector arthur laurents, who wrote the books for the musicals west side story and gypsy, directed the broadway revival of west side story now on tour.
When playwright arthur laurents joined the creative team, he saw the setup as tired. The infamous poison boot west side story story retold with award winning costumes and flawless acting. The secret jewish history of william shakespeare the forward. When young lovers tony and maria find themselves starcrossed between two warring street gangs, the struggle to survive the hate, violence, and prejudice on the streets of the city. Gypsy, west side story and other musicals applause books.
The creators of west side story were a restless crew all gay or bisexual, none of them publicly out in the censorious 1950s. West side story porthouse theatre july 23 august 9, 2020 shakespeares classic romeo and juliet is transformed into a musical set in modern day new york city. Arthur laurents, leonard bernstein, stephen sondheim, jerome. The west side story appropriation we never really talk about. The musical explores the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two teenage. Whittled down to one hour and fortyfive minutes, west side story with book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein, lyrics by stephen sondheim, and choreography by jerome robbins. His credits included the stage musicals west side story and gypsy and the film the way we were. Arthur laurents july 14, 1917 may 5, 2011 was an american playwright, stage director and screenwriter after writing scripts for radio shows after college and then training films for the u.
He died on may 5, 2011 in manhattan, new york city. Book by arthur laurents lyrics by stephen sondheim. Arthur laurents was an american playwright, librettist, stage director, and screenwriter. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of gypsy rose lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, rose, whose name has become synonymous with the ultimate show business mother.
An adaptation of the 1957 musical, west side story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Arthur laurents s most popular book is romeo and juliet and west side story. The broadway musical west side story, a collaboration among playwright arthur laurents born levine, choreographer jerome robbins born rabinowitz, composer leonard bernstein and lyricist. Arthur laurents book were, unsurprisingly, unable to truly represent the. Published by random house new york in june 1966 tenth printing. With his closecropped white hair and smooth skin, dressed in light. West side story takes shakespeares starcrossed lovers, and places them in the vibrant battleground of new york citys west side in the 1950s. Arthur laurents was born on july 14, 1918 in brooklyn, new york city, new york, usa as arthur levine. It was inspired by william shakespeares play romeo and juliet the story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, a multiracial, bluecollar neighborhood. Arthur laurents, the playwright, screenwriter and director who wrote and. Tony kushner screenplay, arthur laurents book 1 more credit. Well, this west side story is the tale of an america in 2020 that is destroying itself from within. From arthur laurents, playwright, screenwriter, directora mesmerizing book about theater, the art, the artist, the insider, the outsiderand the making of two of the greatest musicals of the american stage, west side story and gypsy. Arthur laurents contribution by of west side story edition.
A musical in which a modern day romeo and juliet are involved in new york street gangs. Two teens from the bitterenemy gangs meet and fall. West side story by leonard bernstein music, arthur laurents and stephen sondheim lyrics. See all books authored by arthur laurents, including gypsy, and west side story vocal score, and more on. Arthur laurents books list of books by author arthur. West side story a half century after its world premiere at d. Recent credits include the australian premiere of book of mormon gfo. Award, which allowed him to perform in new york among broadway stars. Before it premiered in 1957, composerbernstein, lyricist sondheim, and book write laurents originally set jewish and italian communities against oneanother in this adaptation of. A milestone was west side story, the 1957 musical for which mr. It opened on broadway at the winter garden theatre on 26 september 1957, and on the west end at her majestys theatre on 12 december 1958. Daniel is thrilled to be joining the cast of west side story.
Now rejuiced, rejazzedup, reopened at the broadway theatre. One last time, arthur laurents speaks out hartford courant. West side story by leonard bernstein homework handlers. Before it premiered in 1957, composer bernstein, lyricist sondheim, and book write laurents originally set jewish and italian communities. From the mambo craze of the 1950s to the works ongoing permeation of popular culture, wells looks at the myriad ways in which this canonic musical reflects and refracts. West side story, book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein, lyrics by. A memoir of broadway and hollywood, published in 2000. With ansel elgort, rita moreno, corey stoll, talia ryder. West side story by leonard bernstein, arthur laurents and stephen sondheim lyrics. Arthur laurents has 27 books on goodreads with 6955 ratings. Romeo and juliet and west side story laurel leaf library by william shakespeare, arthur laurents and stephen sondheim jan 1, 1967.
Cultural perspectives on an american musical, wells presents a major scholarly study of the famous american musical west side story, viewing the work from cultural, historical, and musical perspectives. West side story was originally about jews and catholics history. It is a book profoundly enriched by the authors two loves, love for the theater and love for his partner of fiftytwo years, tom hatcher, who shared and. Army during world war ii, laurents turned to writing for broadway, producing a body of work that includes west side story 1957, gypsy 1959, and hallelujah, baby. And while his wild changes sometimes clash with arthur laurents celebrated book, this bold and gritty new west side story stands apart from any. The moment the curtain went up on the original west side story on broadway, musical theatre changed forever hailed as the greatest broadway musical of all time, the genius of west side story s creators is unquestioned. As west side story celebrates its 60th anniversary, it stands as. West side story is considered by many theater aficionados to be one of the most perfectly made musicals ever, and the music has become an iconic part of american culture. Ppas west side story 2018 full performance hd youtube. Laurents did the book, the dramatic architecture and dialogue that shape. It is based on shakespeares play, romeo and juliet. Terms of use west side story film 1961 metrogoldwynmayer studios inc.
Somewhere from west side story leonard bernstein, conductor marilyn horne, mezzosoprano book by arthur laurents music by leonard bernstein. The remarkable collaboration between leonard bernstein, arthur laurents, stephen sondheim and jerome robbins produced a timeless masterpiece. While the movie version of west side story is among the most faithful of hollywood adaptations, a number of changes were made in translating the work to film, some to suit the medium, others to suit the audience sensibilities, and one or two socalled artistic choices. Random house firm, the feud between two new york teenage gangs abruptly ends the brief happiness shared by maria, a puerto rican girl, and tony, a member of the jets. For leonard bernstein music, arthur laurents book, sondheim and. Ivoryton shakespeares romeo and juliet is transported to modernday new york city in the breathtaking musical, west side story which opens at the ivoryton playhouse on july 5 th. Gypsy, west side story and other musicals applause books laurents, arthur on. West side story transposes shakespeares romeo and juliet to the gangridden streets of 1950s manhattan, dominated by the sharks and the jets. He was a writer, known for rope 1948, the turning point 1977 and west side story 1961. Full script of the musical west side story in hardcover format. In it, he discusses his lengthy career and his many gay affairs and longterm relationships, including those with farley granger and tom hatcher august 24, 1929 october 26, 2006. Gypsy is a 1959 musical with music by jule styne, lyrics by stephen sondheim, and a book by arthur laurents. Of the four geniuses who created west side storythe other three being leonard bernstein, jerome robbins, and stephen sondheimarthur laurents.
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