West Side Story / Puerto Rico: US Possession connected to NYC

Puerto Rico: US Possession and importantly connected to NYC
Originally uploaded by trudeau

West Side Story is an American musical with plot and story based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Set in New York City in the mid-1950s, the musical explores the rivalry between two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The gangsters from Puerto Rico are taunted by a white working-class group.[1]. The young protagonist, Tony, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Puerto Ricans. The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in American musical theatre.

Bernstein's score for the musical has become extremely popular; it includes "Something's Coming", "Maria", "America", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "Jet Song", "I Feel Pretty", "A Boy Like That", "One Hand, One Heart", "Gee, Officer Krupke" and "Cool".