West Side Story, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet in a world of urban gang violence, revolutionized the Broadway musical in terms of its plot, music, and integration of dance. The 1957 play was made into an award-winning film musical in 1961 and recently presented in a film by Steven Spielberg. This talk will view the musical's creation, discuss its innovations, and describe its performance history using a mix of audio and video clips, including those featuring the work's creators -- Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, and Arthur Laurents.
