On January 9, 1949, Leonard Bernstein entered this into his log: "Jerry R. [Robbins] called today with a noble idea: a modern version of Romeo and Juliet set in slums at the coincidence of Easter-Passover celebrations. Feelings run high between Jews and Catholics. Former: Capulets; latter: Montagues. Juliet is Jewish." The newly formed State of Israel and the resultant war made the idea topical, and Bernstein, of Jewish descent, was familiar with Catholicism.

From the beginning, Robbins suggested that Arthur Laurents write the book, which was to be called East Side Story. However, other projects forced them to put off work until 1955. In the late summer of that year, while in Los Angeles with Laurents, Bernstein saw a newspaper article about fights between Mexican and Anglo gangs on Olivera Street. The two decided that recently arrived Puerto Ricans and first-generation Americans born of European immigrants would be a more accessible alternative to the Capulets and Montagues than would Jews and Catholics, and Latin American rhythms began to take shape in Bernstein's head. Neither Laurents nor Bernstein wanted to compose the lyrics for the songs, and they enlisted the 26-year-old Stephen Sondheim in October 1955. The title was changed to West Side Story when the creators realized that gang warfare in New York had moved from the East Side to the West. West Side Story opened at New York's Winter Garden Theater on September 26, 1957, and has remained in the repertory ever since. The film version of 1961 was a smashing success, earning 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. West Side Story is one of Bernstein's most impressive achievements in any style of composition. Its mixture of Latin American rhythms, big band jazz harmonies and instrumentation, contrapuntal writing, and colloquial language is handled with such skill and sensitivity that the result makes it seem as though these elements had always coexisted.

Arthur Laurents' book for West Side Story is not really a retelling or paraphrase of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but rather uses the play as a point of departure. Feuding families become rival gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, and Tony (Romeo) kills Maria's (Juliet) brother, but the "star-crossed" lovers do not have the chance to commit suicide. The most powerful and musically complex moment in the show occurs at about the midpoint, as Tony and Maria sing of their love in a reprise of "Tonight," Anita anticipates her upcoming date with Bernardo, and Riff and Bernardo, with their respective gangs, prepare for the rumble that evening. The result is a quintet with moments of dense rhythmic and melodic polyphony, conveying musically the meaning of the simultaneous but unrelated lines of text. Other highlights include the energetic "America," with its alternating 6/8 and 3/4 time signatures, while "Tonight" and "Maria" boast some of the most memorable melodies from the American stage. "Somewhere," in its opening phrase, features a melodic line borrowed from the slow movement of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73.

Another factor contributing to the musical's success was its strong dance element, evident in songs such as "America" as well as in confrontations between the rival gangs. The setting for the gangs' "neutral turf" negotiations, for example, is a gymnasium dance at which a distinctive mambo serves as the musical backdrop. Bernstein, even as he broke new ground, drew on a tradition of Broadway choreography that was reaching its high point as the work took shape, and the result was a work that combined rhythmic energy, kinetic appeal, romance, and compositional sophistication. The action on-stage may seem a bit dated in this day of the modern gangster, but the work's virtues are undimmed. It may well be a strong candidate for an innovatively updated production.

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While most of the songs in West Side Story have achieved a good measure of popularity, three have become classics of the American musical theater and have been recorded separately or together numerous times: "Maria," "Tonight," and this one, "Somewhere." In West Side Story, "Somewhere" is sung by "A Girl" (not a character in the story), and comes after Tony confesses to Maria that he has killed her brother in a brawl. In some productions it is sung by Maria (soprano), or is fashioned into a duet and sung by both Maria and Tony (tenor).

The song features a single, long-breathed melody, paced slowly and seething with desire. It begins softly, the overall contour of the music ascending, as if its sweet tones are floating toward some heavenly place. Indeed, the lyrics tell of a utopian place of "Peace and quiet and open air...." When the melody is sung the second time it swells with a passionate sense of expectation as it rises nearly to the highest soprano ranges, then softens tenderly in a hushed but tense conclusion. In the second half of the song, the music follows much the same course, rising in the latter moments with the same passion, but closing without the soft, sweet phrases from the first half. Instead, the music here reaches a powerful climax, capturing the epic sense of hope expressed in the lyrics ("Somehow, someday, somewhere"), while also imparting a feeling of frustration in its truncated form that the hope can never be fulfilled.

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West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein's 1957 Broadway hit, features songs that generally fall into two categories—those dealing with romance ("Maria," "Tonight," "Somewhere," etc.) and those of a humorous or sassy character ("Jet Song," "America," "Cool," "Gee Officer Krupke," etc.). But "I Feel Pretty" is the one song whose Richard Rodgers-like gaiety and elegance place it in a different category, making it seem almost out of place in this ultimately tragic musical, an updated take on Romeo and Juliet. In the story Maria, swept away in her love for Tony but unaware he has just killed her brother, sings it in the bridal shop where she works.

"I Feel Pretty" features one of Bernstein's more memorable melodies: its first four notes, deliciously rhythmic in their rising contour, repeat, then are reduced to three, then to two. This forms the core of the theme and the rest is brilliantly imagined as well. Bernstein's instrumentation colors the music with a Latin character (note the recurring rhythmic motif for brass) and so does the girls' chorus that enters midway through. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics deftly capture Maria's bliss and newfound sense of confidence, while expressing the sass and sarcasm of her coworkers ("Have you met my good friend Maria, the craziest girl on the block?"). All in all, this song must be counted among the plentiful gems from West Side Story.

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Those familiar with Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story are generally aware that it is an updating of Shakespeare's tragic love story Romeo and Juliet. "Tonight" is one of the most popular songs from this 1957 Broadway musical smash hit. It is a duet sung by lovers Tony and Maria, and features one of Bernstein's best-known and -loved melodies. In the story it comes in the famous balcony scene, right after Tony meets Maria, and shortly after he sings the equally popular song "Maria." It reappears later on, in the quintet scene, truncated and with different lyrics.

"Tonight" begins with an introductory section where, in the latter moments, the music works up passionately to the dramatic first appearance of the song's famous melody. Maria introduces it: two notes rise on the first "Tonight," then descend on the second one, after which the melody soars to the heavens with a sense of passion and drama, of being carried away. Then Tony takes up the song's second subject, bringing music of equal beauty, even if its sense of passion is reined in a bit. The lovers sing softly and more slowly in a brief central episode, but soon the melody regains its animation and emotional sweep, the dazzled pair realizing their mutual love ("Tonight, tonight the world is wild and bright, going mad shooting sparks into space"). This passionate duet appropriately ends softly and intimately, recalling the hushed atmosphere from its opening.

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Admirers of Leonard Bernstein's most popular Broadway musical West Side Story generally consider "Maria," "Tonight," and "Somewhere" the three finest songs in the show. Of these, "Maria" appears first, coming after Tony leaves the dance, where he met and fell in love with Maria. She would normally be considered off-limits to a boy like Tony: she is Puerto Rican and engaged to Chino. But Tony sees beyond the prejudices of society and senses that this will be the love of his life.

The song begins with Tony mesmerized by thoughts of the beautiful girl he had just kissed, the beautiful girl abruptly pulled away from him at the dance by her overly protective brother Bernardo. Tony repeats her name again and again, and out of it Bernstein ingeniously fashions the three notes that launch the main theme, a beautiful creation full of passion and yearning, of warmth and soaring lyricism. Stephen Sondheim's masterful lyrics contribute to the powerful sweep of emotion here. When Tony expresses his overwhelming feelings of love and infatuation, Sondheim imaginatively yet simply captures his lovesick state of mind: "Maria, say it loud and there's music playing; Say it soft and it's almost like praying." When the orchestra takes up the melody, Tony revels in the beauties of her name once more, singing it ecstatically again and again. Without doubt, "Maria" is one of Bernstein's most memorable and beautiful songs from any genre.

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This song was revised several times while West Side Story appeared in short runs in Toronto, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and other cities, before its official premiere in New York City on September 26, 1957. Its final version, however, was its original one, the composer himself expressing satisfaction with it after all. The other principles in the production—orchestrators, Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal, choreographer and director Jerome Robbins and lyricist Stephen Sondheim—also found it best.

The song is sung by Tony, a tenor, the counterpart to Romeo in this updated musical version of the famous Shakespeare tragedy. His words express optimism over his feeling that "something great is coming...." The music is busy and energetic from its opening, with short phrases ending on the ascent that alternate with ones concluding on the descent. The anxious main line is halted for occasional sustained notes while the rhythm drives insistently on. Soon Tony bursts into a new rhythmic theme, singing his words rapid-fire as he can barely contain his excitement. These two thematic ideas dominate thereafter and the mood throughout imaginatively captures Tony's sense of expectation, his yearning for that special something: "There's something due any day; I will know right away...." Of course, he will shortly meet Maria and the two will fall madly in love. "Something's coming" is undoubtedly one of the more effervescent and colorful songs from this classic Bernstein musical.

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Leonard Bernstein's Broadway musical West Side Story had its share of hit songs, to be sure, including "Tonight," "Maria," and "Somewhere." But the show's less-popular songs hardly pale in comparison with these three classics. "One Hand, One Heart" is one such effort, a ravishingly beautiful duet whose more serious character nearly lifts its music into the operatic realm. That said, its memorable melody and straightforward manner make it an imaginative crossover item, the kind of number that would not only be perfectly in place in a Bernstein opera, but one that fits in well in this classic Broadway musical about a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

In the story, "One Hand, One Heart" comes after Tony and Maria have met and fallen in love. Alone the following day at the bridal shop where she works, Maria and Tony perform mock nuptials, but quickly come to understand their ceremony truly reflects their intentions to marry each other. The duet begins with Tony singing the beautiful melody, a tender almost sentimental creation, paced slowly and tinged with a stately sort of intimacy. Maria takes up the melody and then, to signify the joint partnership of marriage, the two sing together for the remainder of the song, interrupted midway through for a brief orchestral interlude. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics here and in all the songs in the show are often touching and always imaginative.

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This colorful song from Leonard Bernstein's 1957 Broadway hit West Side Story mixes sarcasm and humor in music that has a more Puerto Rican ring than American, despite its title. With lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this ensemble number, sung by Puerto Rican characters Anita, Rosalia, Bernardo, and chorus, is a light-hearted paean to the American way of life. In the story it imparts effective contrast, as it comes after the Balcony scene, which features the famous love duet "Tonight" for lead characters Tony and Maria.

"America" features a sort of vocal duel between Rosalia and Anita, the former longing for her native Puerto Rico and the sassy latter mocking Rosalia's words at every turn ("Puerto Rico, you ugly island...I like the island Manhattan; smoke on your pipe and put that in."). "America" offers a melody as appropriate for dance as for song, its perky rhythms and Latin character effervescing with vibrant colors, as rowdy characters shout and laugh and, of course, dance. Between the two women's jibes, the chorus sings the popular refrain to the song's most memorable melody ("I like to be in America; OK by me in America."). There is a short, lively orchestral interlude midway through that adds more spice to this colorful romp. "America" has less a carefree sense than a sort of free-for-all atmosphere, but all to good effect, in this, one of the show's wildest and most appealing numbers.

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West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein's 1957 Broadway hit, features songs that generally fall into two categories—those dealing with romance ("Maria," "Tonight," "Somewhere," etc.) and those of a humorous or sassy character ("Jet Song," "America," "Cool," "Gee Officer Krupke," etc.). But "I Feel Pretty" is the one song whose Richard Rodgers-like gaiety and elegance place it in a different category, making it seem almost out of place in this ultimately tragic musical, an updated take on Romeo and Juliet. In the story Maria, swept away in her love for Tony but unaware he has just killed her brother, sings it in the bridal shop where she works.

"I Feel Pretty" features one of Bernstein's more memorable melodies: its first four notes, deliciously rhythmic in their rising contour, repeat, then are reduced to three, then to two. This forms the core of the theme and the rest is brilliantly imagined as well. Bernstein's instrumentation colors the music with a Latin character (note the recurring rhythmic motif for brass) and so does the girls' chorus that enters midway through. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics deftly capture Maria's bliss and newfound sense of confidence, while expressing the sass and sarcasm of her coworkers ("Have you met my good friend Maria, the craziest girl on the block?"). All in all, this song must be counted among the plentiful gems from West Side Story.

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