West Side Story book turned musical was written in 1957 by Arthur Laurents. West Side Story is a musical interpretation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, giving it a modern spin and a change from the original class to race rivalry. The setting of this play is based in the 1950s in the Upper West Side of New York City. The rivalry is between two gangs called the Jets, a white gang, and the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang. Comparable to Romeo and Juliet the main plot to this story is based on the challenging love story between Tony, a former member of the Jets and Maria, the sister of the Sharks gang leader, Bernardo.
The two gangs have been struggling for control of their neighborhood and continue to brawl and argue when they see each other …show more content…
Maria works with her brother, Bernardo's girlfriend Anita in a bridal shop where she confesses that she does not love Chino. Anita continues to make a dress for Maria for the neighborhood dance. At the dance there is tension between the two gangs during the dance challenge. The two not competing in the dance challenge are Tony and Maria, they see each other across the room (much like Romeo and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet) and begin to dance and fall in love. Bernardo sees what's going on and sends Maria home, while Riff confronts Bernardo and decides to have a meeting between the two gangs in a neutral place, Doc's Drugstore. Skipping the meeting, Tony finds Maria's home and serenades her in the street while the Shark girls debate whether America or Puerto Rico is better. At the meeting, the leaders agree on a fair fight with no weapons. Tony arrives to the fight to stop it per Maria's request, while there Bernardo taunts him to fight but he keeps his cool. Trying to intervene, Tony aggravates Bernardo leading to the fatal death of Riff from Bernardo's switchblade. At the end of Act One, Tony kills Bernardo, avenging Riff's …show more content…
She is daydreaming about him with her girlfriends, when the man she is supposed to marry, Chino arrives with the news that Tony has murdered Bernardo. Although Maria is heartbroken that her brother is dead, she is still in love with Tony and insists that they run away together. The Jets meet up after hearing the police are looking after them, upon meeting the gang hears that Chino is looking for Tony with a gun, which makes the gang split up looking for him. Tony stops by to tell Maria to meet him at Doc's so they can finally run away together. Anita is heartbroken over Bernardo death, while visiting Maria, she realizes Tony has been there with her and falls into a rage against him. Maria tries to explain her strong love from Tony and Anita realizes that is the kind of love she had for Bernardo. Anita reveals to Maria that Chino is looking for Tony with a gun, and goes to tell Tony to wait for Maria at Doc's while she is getting questioned by the Lieutenant about Bernardo's death. Once Anita arrives at Doc's to send Tony the message, The Jets have already arrived and begin to mess with Anita about the death of her love and call her racial names. While also simulating rape, Anita tells the Jets that Chino shot Maria dead out of spite. Tony hears this and goes to look for Chino and begging for him to shoot him. Once Tony catches a glimpse of Maria, Chino shoots him dead, angering
The two gangs have been struggling for control of their neighborhood and continue to brawl and argue when they see each other …show more content…
Maria works with her brother, Bernardo's girlfriend Anita in a bridal shop where she confesses that she does not love Chino. Anita continues to make a dress for Maria for the neighborhood dance. At the dance there is tension between the two gangs during the dance challenge. The two not competing in the dance challenge are Tony and Maria, they see each other across the room (much like Romeo and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet) and begin to dance and fall in love. Bernardo sees what's going on and sends Maria home, while Riff confronts Bernardo and decides to have a meeting between the two gangs in a neutral place, Doc's Drugstore. Skipping the meeting, Tony finds Maria's home and serenades her in the street while the Shark girls debate whether America or Puerto Rico is better. At the meeting, the leaders agree on a fair fight with no weapons. Tony arrives to the fight to stop it per Maria's request, while there Bernardo taunts him to fight but he keeps his cool. Trying to intervene, Tony aggravates Bernardo leading to the fatal death of Riff from Bernardo's switchblade. At the end of Act One, Tony kills Bernardo, avenging Riff's …show more content…
She is daydreaming about him with her girlfriends, when the man she is supposed to marry, Chino arrives with the news that Tony has murdered Bernardo. Although Maria is heartbroken that her brother is dead, she is still in love with Tony and insists that they run away together. The Jets meet up after hearing the police are looking after them, upon meeting the gang hears that Chino is looking for Tony with a gun, which makes the gang split up looking for him. Tony stops by to tell Maria to meet him at Doc's so they can finally run away together. Anita is heartbroken over Bernardo death, while visiting Maria, she realizes Tony has been there with her and falls into a rage against him. Maria tries to explain her strong love from Tony and Anita realizes that is the kind of love she had for Bernardo. Anita reveals to Maria that Chino is looking for Tony with a gun, and goes to tell Tony to wait for Maria at Doc's while she is getting questioned by the Lieutenant about Bernardo's death. Once Anita arrives at Doc's to send Tony the message, The Jets have already arrived and begin to mess with Anita about the death of her love and call her racial names. While also simulating rape, Anita tells the Jets that Chino shot Maria dead out of spite. Tony hears this and goes to look for Chino and begging for him to shoot him. Once Tony catches a glimpse of Maria, Chino shoots him dead, angering