Times
How many years did the play run on Broadway for?
2 years
Where does the play take place?
West side of Manhattan, New York City
Larry Kent
What was the goal of the play?
To break racial barriers
How many performances were completed on Broadway?
732 performances
What year was the first idea of West Side Story originally crafted?
1949
Where was the play originally supposed to take place?
Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City
Who played Maria?
Carol Lawrence
What are the names of the 2 gangs in the play?
Sharks and Jets
What religion were Tony and Maria originally supposed to be?
Catholic and Jewish
When did the play premiere on broadway?
September 26, 1957
Where did the play first premiere?
Washington
Who played Bernardo (the leader of the Sharks)?
Ken Le Roy
What are the 3 most famous songs from the play?
"I Feel Pretty”, “Tonight” and “America,”
What is the main issue with the costumes from the original play?
The actors did brownface - each actor used a specific shade of brown makeup to depict the image of a Puerto Rican
When did the play premiere in Washington?
August 19, 1957
Where were auditions for the play held?
Washington and Philadelphia
Who played the role of Riff (the leader of the Jets)?
Mickey Calin
What are the 3 main themes of the play?
Love vs Hatred
Racism
And the Fear of Immigrants
Who was the choreographer, playwright, composer and lyricist of the play?
Jerome Robins - choreographer
Arthur Laurents - playwright
Leonard Bernstein - composer
Stephen Sondheim - lyricist
When was Romeo and Juliet written
Between 1591 and 1596
Where does Romeo and Juliet take place?
Verona, Italy
In Shakespearean theatre, who usually played the female characters such as Juliet?
Boys
What theme do West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet have in common?
Forbidden love
Who commits suicide first in Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo