West Side Story is a musical created by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a story written by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, the musical is set in the mid-1950s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, a neighborhood home to people of many different races and backgrounds. The story follows the conflict between two teenage street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, who come from different ethnic backgrounds. The Sharks are recent immigrants from Puerto Rico, while the Jets are white. Both groups compete for control of the neighborhood, and the police work to maintain peace. The main character, Tony, was once a member of the Jets and is friends with the gang’s leader, Riff. Tony falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, who leads the Sharks. The musical’s serious themes, complex music, long dance scenes, tragic love story, and focus on social issues changed the way musical theatre was made.
The original 1957 Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Robbins, was Stephen Sondheim’s first Broadway show. It performed for 732 shows before touring. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards in 1958, including Best Musical, and won two awards. The show later had a long-running production in London’s West End, many revivals, and performances around the world. A 1961 movie version, directed by Robert Wise and Robbins, was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won ten, including Best Picture. A 2021 movie version, directed by Steven Spielberg, was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with six other awards, and won for Best Supporting Actress.
Background
In 1949, Jerome Robbins asked Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents to work together on a modern musical version of Romeo and Juliet. He suggested the story focus on a conflict between a Catholic family and a Jewish family living in Manhattan’s Lower East Side during the Easter–Passover season. The girl in the story had survived the Holocaust and moved to the United States from Israel. The conflict would center on discrimination against Jewish people by the Catholic “Jets” toward the Jewish “Emeralds.” Laurents quickly agreed to help write the musical. Bernstein wanted to make the musical like an opera, but Robbins and Laurents disagreed. They called the project “lyric theater,” and Laurents wrote a first draft called East Side Story. Later, the group realized the draft was similar to themes already covered in plays like Abie’s Irish Rose. When Robbins left the project, the three men separated, and the musical was put on hold for nearly five years.
In 1955, producer Martin Gabel was working on a stage version of the novel Serenade, about an opera singer who learns he is homosexual. He invited Laurents to write the book. Laurents agreed and suggested Bernstein and Robbins join the team. Robbins thought they should return to East Side Story, but Laurents was already working with Gabel, who introduced him to young composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim performed by playing the score for his musical Saturday Night, which was set to open later that year. Laurents liked Sondheim’s lyrics but did not like his music. Sondheim did not agree with Laurents’ opinion. Serenade was also put on hold.
Laurents was soon hired to write the screenplay for a remake of the 1934 film The Painted Veil for Ava Gardner. While in Hollywood, he contacted Bernstein, who was in town conducting at the Hollywood Bowl. They met at The Beverly Hills Hotel and talked about juvenile delinquent gangs, a new social issue covered in newspapers due to a Chicano conflict over territory. Bernstein suggested they rework East Side Story and set it in Los Angeles, but Laurents felt he knew more about Puerto Ricans in the United States and Harlem than about Mexican Americans or Olvera Street. They contacted Robbins, who was excited about a musical with a Latin beat. He traveled to Hollywood to choreograph dances for the 1956 film The King and I and began developing the musical with Laurents while working on their projects. Bernstein, who had returned to New York, stayed in touch with them. When the producer of The Painted Veil replaced Gardner with Eleanor Parker and asked Laurents to revise the script, he left the film to focus on the stage musical. Bernstein and Laurents, who had been blacklisted for alleged communist activities, worked with Robbins even though he had cooperated with the House Un-American Activities Committee.
In New York City, Laurents attended the opening night party for a new play by Ugo Betti. There, he met Sondheim, who heard that East Side Story, now renamed West Side Story, was back on track. Bernstein decided to focus only on the music and invited Betty Comden and Adolph Green to write the lyrics, but they chose to work on Peter Pan instead. Laurents asked Sondheim if he would help with the lyrics. Sondheim initially refused because he was working on his next project, Saturday Night, which had been canceled. Oscar Hammerstein convinced him to take the job, and Sondheim agreed. Meanwhile, Laurents revised the book, changing the characters’ backgrounds: the male lead, once Irish American, was now of Polish and Irish descent, and the female lead, once Jewish, was now Puerto Rican.
Laurents’ original book closely followed Romeo and Juliet, but characters based on Rosaline and the parents of the lovers were removed early on. Scenes about Juliet faking her death and committing suicide were also deleted. Language was a challenge; swearing was uncommon in theater, and slang was avoided to prevent becoming outdated. Laurents created fake street expressions, like “cut the frabba-jabba.” Sondheim turned dialogue, such as “A boy like that would kill your brother,” into lyrics. With Oscar Hammerstein’s help, Laurents convinced Bernstein and Sondheim to move “One Hand, One Heart” from the balcony scene to the bridal shop, allowing “Tonight” to replace it. Laurents added comic relief in the form of Officer Krupke to ease the tension before the tragic ending. He lost votes on other issues, such as the lyrics to “America” and “I Feel Pretty,” which stayed in the score and became audience favorites. A song called “Kid Stuff” was added but quickly removed during a Washington, D.C., tryout after Laurents argued it made the show too similar to a typical musical comedy.
Bernstein composed West Side Story and Candide at the same time, leading to some material being shared between the two works. Tony and Maria’s duet, “One Hand, One Heart,” was originally written for Cunegonde in Candide. The music for “Gee, Officer Krupke” was taken from the Venice scene in Candide. Laurents described the style the team finally chose:
The show was nearly complete by fall 1956, but the creative team had other commitments. Robbins was working on Bells Are Ringing, Bernstein on Candide, and Laurents’ play A Clearing in the Woods opened in January 1957 but closed quickly. When a backers’ audition failed to raise money for West Side Story in late spring 1957, only two months before rehearsals were to begin, producer Cheryl Crawford left the project. Other producers had already rejected the show, calling it too dark and sad. Bernstein was upset, but Sondheim convinced his friend Hal Prince, who was overseeing a musical in Boston, to read the script. Prince liked it but asked his mentor, George Abbott, for advice. Abbott told him to turn it down. Prince ignored Abbott’s advice and flew to New York to hear the score. In his memoirs, Prince recalled: “Sondheim and Bernstein sat at the piano playing through the music, and soon I was singing along with them.”
Prince began cutting costs and raising money. Robbins initially refused to choreograph the show but changed his mind when Prince agreed to an eight-week dance rehearsal period (instead of the usual four), as West Side Story would have more dancing than any previous Broadway show. Prince also allowed Robbins to hire Peter Gennaro as his assistant. Originally, Laurents wanted James Dean to play Tony, but the actor died before the role could be cast. Sondheim found Larry Kert and Chita Rivera, who created the roles of Tony and Anita, respectively.
Synopsis
Two groups of teenagers, the Jets (white Americans) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans), fight for control of the San Juan Hill neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (Prologue). Police officers Krupke and Lt. Schrank tell them to stop fighting on their beat. The police chase the Sharks away, and the Jets plan how to keep their control of the street. The Jets' leader, Riff, suggests starting a fight with the Sharks. He plans to challenge Bernardo, the Sharks' leader, at a neighborhood dance that night. Riff wants to convince his best friend and former Jet, Tony, to join the Jets at the dance. Some Jets are unsure about Tony's loyalty, but Riff insists Tony is still one of them ("Jet Song"). Riff meets Tony at Doc's Drugstore to persuade him. Tony at first refuses, but Riff convinces him. Tony believes something important is coming ("Something's Coming").
Maria works in a bridal shop with Anita, the girlfriend of her brother, Bernardo. Maria has just arrived from Puerto Rico for an arranged marriage to Chino, a friend of Bernardo. Maria tells Anita she is not in love with Chino. Anita makes Maria a dress to wear to the neighborhood dance.
At the dance, after introductions, the teenagers begin to dance. A challenge dance is called ("Dance at the Gym"), during which Tony and Maria (who are not in the challenge) see each other across the room and are drawn to each other. They dance together, forgetting the tension, and fall in love. Bernardo pulls his sister from Tony and sends her home. Riff and Bernardo agree to meet at Doc's Drugstore, a place considered neutral ground, but Tony finds Maria's building and sings to her outside her bedroom ("Maria"). She appears on her fire escape, and the two share their love for each other ("Tonight"). Meanwhile, Anita, Rosalia, and other Shark girls talk about the differences between Puerto Rico and the mainland United States, with Anita defending America and Rosalia longing for Puerto Rico ("America").
The Jets grow restless while waiting for the Sharks at Doc's Drugstore. Riff helps them release their anger ("Cool"). The Sharks arrive to discuss weapons for the fight. Tony suggests "a fair fight" (fists only), which the leaders agree to, even though others protest. Bernardo believes he will fight Tony but ends up fighting Diesel, Riff's second-in-command. Lt. Schrank tries to find where the fight will happen but fails. Tony tells Doc about Maria. Doc is worried, but Tony is confident nothing will go wrong; he is in love.
The next day, Maria is happy at the bridal shop, excited to see Tony again. She is upset when Anita tells her about the upcoming fight. When Tony arrives, Maria insists he stop the fight, which he agrees to. Before he leaves, they imagine their wedding ("One Hand, One Heart"). Tony, Maria, Anita, Bernardo, the Sharks, Riff, and the Jets all expect what will happen that night ("Tonight Quintet"). The gangs meet under the highway, and as Bernardo and Diesel fight, Tony arrives to stop them. Bernardo mocks Tony's attempt to make peace, but Tony remains calm. When Bernardo pushes Tony, Riff punches him in Tony's defense. The two draw their switchblades and fight ("The Rumble"). Tony tries to stop them, but Riff is fatally stabbed by Bernardo. Tony kills Bernardo in anger, causing a full fight like the one in the Prologue. Police sirens are heard, and everyone runs, except Tony, who stands in shock. Anybodys, a tomboy who wants to be a Jet, tells Tony to flee and leaves with the knives. Only Riff and Bernardo's bodies remain.
Maria is unaware of the fight's deadly outcome and sings happily to her friends that she is in love ("I Feel Pretty"). Chino arrives and tells her Tony killed Bernardo, then leaves. Maria hopes the news is false. Tony arrives, and Maria at first hits him in anger but still loves him. They plan to run away together. As Maria's bedroom walls disappear, they imagine a peaceful future ("Somewhere").
Two Jets, A-Rab and Baby John, escape Officer Krupke and join the others. They mock Krupke and other adults who do not understand them ("Gee, Officer Krupke"). Anybodys arrives and tells the Jets she has spied on the Sharks, learning Chino has a gun and is looking for Tony. The gang splits to find Tony and protect him. Action accepts Anybodys into the Jets and includes her in the search.
A grieving Anita arrives at Maria's apartment. Tony tells Maria to meet him at Doc's so they can run away. Anita sees Tony with Maria and angrily accuses him ("A Boy Like That"). Maria defends love ("I Have a Love"), and Anita realizes Maria loves Tony as much as she loved Bernardo. Anita tells Maria Chino has a gun and is looking for Tony. Lt. Schrank questions Maria about her brother's death, and Anita agrees to warn Tony Maria will be late. Unfortunately, the Jets, who have found Tony, gather at Doc's and taunt Anita with racist slurs, then attempt to rape her. Doc stops them. Furious, Anita gives the wrong message, telling the Jets Chino has shot Maria.
Doc tells Tony Maria is alive, but Tony, who dreamed of a future with her, feels there is nothing left to live for. He leaves to find Chino, asking him to shoot him too. Just as Tony sees Maria alive, Chino arrives and shoots Tony. The Jets, Sharks, and adults gather around the lovers. Maria holds Tony as he dies, quietly singing "Somewhere" again. Angry at Tony's death, the Jets move toward the Sharks, but Maria takes Chino's gun and yells that everyone killed Tony because of their hate. She cannot bring herself to fire the gun and drops it, crying. Gradually, members of both gangs gather on either side of Tony's body, showing the feud is over. Krupke takes Chino into custody, and the Jets and Sharks carry Tony away, with Maria last in line.
Musical numbers
- In the 1964 and 1980 versions, the song "Somewhere" was performed by Francisca instead of Consuelo.
- In the 2009 version, "Cool" was performed by Riff, the Jets, and the Jet Girls. The songs "I Feel Pretty" and "A Boy Like That" were sung in Spanish as "Me siento hermosa" and "Un hombre así," respectively. These songs were changed back to their English lyrics during the show. The song "Somewhere" was performed by Kiddo, a young Jet.
Productions
After tryouts in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia in August 1957, the original Broadway production of West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 26, 1957, and received positive reviews. Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed the show, while Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal helped create the music. Robert E. Griffith and Harold Prince produced the show, and Jean Rosenthal designed the stage lighting. The cast included Larry Kert as Tony, Carol Lawrence as Maria, Chita Rivera as Anita, and David Winters as Baby John. Other important cast members were: Riff (Michael Callan), A-Rab (Tony Mordente), Big Deal (Martin Charnin), Gee-Tar (Tommy Abbott), Chino (Jamie Sanchez), Rosalia (Marilyn Cooper), Consuela (Reri Grist), Doc (Art Smith), and Francisca (Elizabeth Taylor). The production closed on June 27, 1959, after 732 shows. Robbins won the Tony Award for Best Choreographer, and Oliver Smith won the Tony for Best Scenic Designer. Others who were nominated included Carol Lawrence for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Max Goberman for Best Musical Director and Conductor, and Irene Sharaff for Best Costume Design. Carol Lawrence also received the 1958 Theatre World Award.
The show’s national tour began on July 1, 1959, in Denver and later played in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston. It returned to the Winter Garden Theatre in New York in April 1960 for another 249 shows, closing in December.
A 1958 production at the Manchester Opera House moved to London, where it opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in the West End on December 12, 1958, and ran until June 1961, with a total of 1,039 performances. Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed the show, and Peter Gennaro co-choreographed it. Oliver Smith designed the scenery. George Chakiris, who later won an Academy Award for his role as Bernardo in the 1961 film version, played Riff. Marlys Watters played Maria, Don McKay played Tony, and Chita Rivera repeated her Broadway role as Anita. David Holliday, who had been playing Gladhand since the London opening, took over as Tony.
The Shaftesbury Theatre in London reopened with a run of West Side Story from December 19, 1974, to mid-1975. Bill Kenwright directed the show, Roger Finch choreographed it, and Lionel Morton played Tony, with Christiana Matthews as Maria. A London production began at Leicester Haymarket Theatre in early 1984 and later moved to Her Majesty’s Theatre, where it closed on September 28, 1985. The 1980 Broadway production was recreated by Tom Abbott. Steven Pacey played Tony, Jan Hartley played Maria, and Maxine Gordon played Anybodys.
A UK national tour started in 1997, featuring David Habbin as Tony, Katie Knight Adams as Maria, and Anna-Jane Casey as Anita. The production later moved to London’s West End, opening at the Prince Edward Theatre in October 1998 and closing at the Prince of Wales Theatre in January 2000. It toured the UK again.
A production at the Curve Theatre in 2019 starred Jamie Muscato as Tony and Adriana Ivelisse as Maria, running from November 23, 2019, to January 11, 2020.
A Broadway revival opened at the Minskoff Theatre on February 14, 1980, and closed on November 30 after 333 shows. Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed the show, with Gerald Freedman co-directing the book scenes. Gladys Nederlander and Tom Abbott produced the show, and Lee Theodore helped with choreography. The original scenic, lighting, and costume designs were used. Ken Marshall played Tony, Josie de Guzman played Maria, and Debbie Allen played Anita. Both de Guzman and Allen were nominated for Tony Awards, and the musical was nominated for Best Reproduction. Debbie Allen won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. Other cast members included Brent Barrett as Diesel, Harolyn Blackwell as Francisca, Stephen Bogardus as Mouth Piece, and Reed Jones as Big Deal. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was an understudy for Maria later in the run.
The Minskoff production later opened the Nervi Festival in Genoa, Italy, in July 1981, with Josie de Guzman as Maria and Brent Barrett as Tony.
In 2007, Arthur Laurents said he had a plan to make West Side Story feel modern without changing the words or music. He directed a pre-Broadway production at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., from December 15, 2008, to January 17, 2009. The Broadway revival began previews at the Palace Theatre on February 23, 2009, and opened on March 19. Spanish lyrics and dialogue were added to the English script, with translations by Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. Some lyrics, like those in “A Boy Like That” and “I Feel Pretty,” were later changed back to English, but the Sharks’ version of “Tonight” remained in Spanish. The cast included Matt Cavenaugh as Tony, Josefina Scaglione as Maria, and Karen Olivo as Anita. Karen Olivo won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress, and Josefina Scaglione was nominated for Leading Actress. Jeremy Jordan was an alternate for Tony. The cast recording won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
Critical reaction
The creators of West Side Story introduced new ideas in dance, music, and theater, which received positive responses from critics. Walter Kerr wrote in the New York Herald Tribune on September 27, 1957:
Other reviews also discussed how the show might change the future of musical theater. John Chapman’s review in the New York Daily News on the same date was titled: "West Side Story a Splendid and Super-Modern Musical Drama."
Time magazine highlighted the dance scenes and the portrayal of gang conflicts as more interesting than the love story. The magazine noted that placing dance at the center of the show might mark an important moment in the history of musical theater. One writer said the story reflected society’s desire to challenge authority, similar to films like Rebel Without a Cause from the 1950s. The writer also mentioned that the energetic dance moves by choreographer Jerome Robbins and the music by Leonard Bernstein helped highlight the sharp, satirical lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and the story by Arthur Laurents, which captured the anger of young people in cities.
The play faced criticism for making gangs seem appealing and for not accurately representing Puerto Ricans, as few actors of Latin heritage were cast. However, the same writer praised the song "America," which showed how immigrants overcome challenges. The musical also addressed difficult topics, such as the struggles of young people and the serious problems caused by poverty and racism. The show suggested that juvenile delinquency was a problem in society, stating: "No one wants a fella with a social disease!"
The writer concluded that in the early 1960s, American society, still recovering from the effects of World War II, was trying to find stability and control.
Score
Bernstein's music for West Side Story combines jazz, Latin rhythms, grand symphonic elements, and musical-comedy styles in new and creative ways for Broadway. Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal created the orchestration based on Bernstein's detailed instructions. Bernstein later made changes to their work. The original manuscript, which includes notes and revisions by Ramin, Kostal, and Bernstein, is stored in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library at Columbia University. Ramin, Kostal, and Bernstein are listed as orchestrators for the show. The original orchestra had 31 musicians: a large group of performers typically found in Broadway shows, expanded to include 5 percussionists.
In 1960, Bernstein arranged a collection of orchestral music from the show called Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. This work includes nine sections: Prologue (Allegro moderato), "Somewhere" (Adagio), Scherzo (Vivace e leggero), Mambo (Meno presto), Cha-Cha (Andantino con grazia), Meeting Scene (Meno mosso), "Cool" Fugue (Allegretto), Rumble (Molto allegro), and Finale (Adagio). It first performed on February 13, 1961, at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic, led by conductor Lukas Foss. Later, the suite was added as bonus tracks on the original Broadway cast recording.
Analysis of the book
In West Side Story, just like in Romeo and Juliet, the love between members of two competing groups causes violent fights and ends tragically. The story carries a message: Violence leads to more violence, so people should try to make peace and share space. Themes in the musical include "prejudice, misunderstandings between cultures, and problems in society that prevent young people from being supported in positive ways."
Misha Berson lists four differences between West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet: the conflict starts because of cultural differences; the story does not include parents or past relationships; Anita is attacked, so she hides the news of Maria’s death from Tony; and Maria lives at the end. Carla Della Gatta adds three more: the Jets control public areas (unlike the Capulets in Shakespeare’s play); Tony does not kill Chino (unlike Romeo, who kills Paris); and Chino kills Tony (unlike Paris, who does not kill Romeo).
Recordings
Recordings of West Side Story include cast albums from the 1957 and 2009 Broadway productions, as well as foreign productions performed in other languages, live concert versions, and studio albums. The 1958 West End production did not release a cast album, but many of its performers recorded parts of the show on other recordings. Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic for a 1985 studio recording released by Deutsche Grammophon, featuring opera singers José Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa. This recording won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 1986. A television documentary about the making of this album also won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary in the same year. The 2009 cast album received the same Grammy award in 2010. A 2013 concert recording by the San Francisco Symphony was nominated for a Grammy Award.
West Side Story was adapted into films released in 1961 and 2021, with soundtrack albums for both movies. The musical’s score has also been arranged by musicians and ensembles for albums over the years. Bernstein created a suite titled Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, which has been recorded multiple times. The 1961 jazz album Kenton’s West Side Story, performed by Stan Kenton and the Stan Kenton Orchestra, won the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.
Films
The 1961 film version of the musical was praised by critics and the public. It became the second-highest-grossing film in the United States that year. The film won ten Academy Awards out of eleven categories it was nominated for, including Best Picture. This was the most Academy Awards any musical film had ever won. Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the film, became the first Latina actress to win an Oscar. The film's soundtrack album won a Grammy Award and was ranked No. 1 on the Billboard chart for 54 weeks. Some changes in the film compared to the stage version include moving the song "Tonight" to follow "America" and placing "I Feel Pretty" before the rumble. The character Diesel is renamed Ice. The song "Gee, Officer Krupke" is moved before "Cool" and is sung by Riff instead of Action, while "Cool" is sung by Ice instead of Riff. After Riff is killed, Ice takes control of the Jets instead of Action.
A 1979 Egyptian version of the musical, titled Quessat al-Ay al-Gharby, was directed by Adel Sadeq. It was based on the original musical and the 1961 film. The cast included actors such as Hussein Fahmy as Sami, Soheir Ramzi as Amal, Samir Ghanem as Talib, Hassan Youssef as Recep, Saeed Saleh, and Soheir Zaki.
A 2021 film version, written by Tony Kushner and directed by Steven Spielberg, is based more closely on the Broadway musical than the 1961 film. The cast includes Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria, Ariana DeBose as Anita, and Mike Faist as Riff. Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the 1961 film, portrays Valentina, a new version of the character Doc who serves as a mentor to the young characters and sings "Somewhere." A new character named Abe is added to make the cast more representative of 1950s New York. The choreography by Justin Peck is different from the original. The songs "Gee, Officer Krupke" and "Cool" are performed in the first half of the film, and "One Hand, One Heart" appears between them. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won one Oscar for DeBose's performance.
References in popular culture
The television show Curb Your Enthusiasm mentioned West Side Story many times in the 2009 season seven episode titled "Officer Krupke." In the third season of the series Glee, three episodes show characters preparing for and performing a school version of West Side Story. The 2005 short musical comedy film West Bank Story, which won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, tells a story about a Jewish person and a Palestinian person falling in love. It also makes fun of parts of West Side Story.
In 1963, the magazine Mad published a story called "East Side Story." This story was set at the United Nations building on the East Side of Manhattan and made fun of the Cold War. Two groups of people in the story were led by John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev. The story was written by Frank Jacobs and illustrated by Mort Drucker. In the Discworld book series by Terry Pratchett, two families that do not get along are named Selachii and Venturi. These names are the scientific names for "sharks" and "jets."
From 1973 to 2004, a musical called Wild Side Story, which is a humorous version of West Side Story, was performed more than 500 times in Miami Beach, Florida; Stockholm; Gran Canaria; and Los Angeles. The show uses some of the music and lyrics from West Side Story but changes the story to make fun of the original musical's sad love story, as well as the practice of singing along with recorded music and drag performances.