West Side Story’s tragic take on racism and loss.
Jerome Robbins’s West Side Story, a musical take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, depicts two rivaling gangs fighting for territories in 1950’s New York City. However, Robbins takes a very interesting route with how this musical plays out. He very cleverly makes the musical not only about the tragic love story, but about the severe racism going on at the time. One of the gang families are Puerto Rican migrants who are constantly being mistreated and looked down on because of where they come from. Because of this, there is a very obvious “good guys and bad guys” theme within the two gangs whereas in Romeo and Juliet, it isn’t as obvious that one family is much worse than the other. Being able to depict this kind of violence in the time period in which this was originally written, and on top of that turning it into a musical, is something not commonly done. There is also the very dramatic difference of only one of the two main love interests dying at the end. The single death of the character Tony, who is this musical’s Romeo, is seen as a very powerful ending to the musical itself. This is the first time in a Romeo and Juliet adaptation where both main characters do not die at the end of the story, and it is done in a very interesting way. Being able to depict love as a strength and a reason to keep going, instead of a weakness and something that warrants death. The change makes the ending of this musical all the more powerful. Can West Side Story even be considered a Romeo and Juliet retelling if both parties don’t end up dying at the end? The changes made in West Side Story, however drastic, make the play much more tragic than Romeo and Juliet by raising awareness for serious ongoing issues, turning the story into a musical, and having a tragically powerful moment depicting grief and strength at the end of the musical.
Racism was, and still is, a very serious issue in the U.S, being extremely normalized in the 1950-60’s, especially in inner cities. This is the main conflict that West Side Story focuses on throughout the musical, a drastic change from its inspiration, Romeo and Juliet. In a time where representation of Puerto Ricans was scarce, West Side Story was able to capture the difficulties and oppression that Puerto Ricans living in America had to face and by doing so, raised awareness to the issue of poor representation and living arrangements that these people were going through. In an article by Camille Aige, who writes for Onstage Pittsburgh, she states, “The way we see and feel about society and ourselves is greatly influenced by depictions in the media and entertainment. For many audience members, especially members from underrepresented communities, seeing individuals who look like them on stage can be memorable and empowering.” Being able to see someone like you, and facing the same issues as you on a stage or a TV screen that is mostly populated by white, English speaking people is much more powerful than people tend to believe. The same statement can be said even in the present day. Take The Little Mermaid remake for example. Released in 2023, hundreds of videos were released online of little black girls smiling up at the TV, saying things like “She looks like me.” By making West Side Story about the struggles of Puerto Rican families all around the United States instead of solely focusing on the tragic love story taking place, the impact was much bigger than its inspiration. While the original message can still be seen as powerful, two families making two teens kill themselves because their families could not get along, West Side Story was able to take the theme to a whole new level and make it so much more impactful to people around the world.
As if the modifications West Side Story made weren’t drastic enough, it holds the title of being the first Romeo and Juliet adaptation to be a musical. Music is one of, if not the main source of emotion throughout a film or T.V show. The genre of music combined with a good composer and instrumental can make you feel emotions ten times the amount you would feel if you were just watching the scene in silence. “The right music can create an emotional connection with the audience, allowing them to feel the same emotions as the characters on screen.” Manuel Cervia writes in his article titled, How music affects emotions in film. While previous Romeo and Juliet adaptations don’t lack in the musical element, often including dramatic background instrumentals to further heighten the audience’s emotions, Robbins West Side Story is a full blown musical, complete with the characters singing and dancing throughout the entirety of the performance. This element plays into the story’s favor by being able to incorporate more ideas, thoughts, and feelings by fitting them into songs, keeping the length of the performance appropriate for a live audience. The songs are able to express feelings of love, loss, oppression, and hate all the while fitting into the plot of the performance perfectly. In an article written by Sam Marshall, he writes, “The depth of emotion in the lovesongs is consistent throughout the show, and combined with the humorous and political numbers gives the show its wholesomeness as a piece of musical theatre.” Part of the reason West Side Story is so famous in the first place is its ability to story tell through musical numbers. It adds a whole new level of emotion to the tragic love story, having the audience really be able to feel the emotions being felt by the characters on stage. By building this strong connection with the characters on stage, the audience is able to have a stronger reaction to the events going on throughout the performance. This differs from Romeo and Juliet, where the plot is somewhat rushed and we don’t get to build that connection with a lot of the characters, making West Side Story that much more tragic than it already is.
The most memorable part of Romeo and Juliet, having both young lovers tragically take their lives at the end of the play, is something West Side Story denounces entirely. Instead, only the male lead, Tony, tragically dies at the end of the performance, while Maria, the female lead, holds her head high and stays alive. A direct quote from the play, “You all killed him! And my brother! And Riff! Not with bullets and knives! With hate! Well, I can kill now too, because now I hate!” (Maria, the final act). Seeing a young Nieve Maria change into a grief-stricken, angry woman is the real tragedy of West Side Story. Seeing someone once so pure and innocent, full of love and hope for the world, be turned into a cold, hating, empty person by the end of the performance is absolutely devastating. Much more devastating than if she were to take her own life. Instead, she is stripped of her innocence, being left in a world where no one will look out for her but herself. Not only this, but at the end, the two gangs band together to help Maria carry his body away in silence. Forgetting about the hatred they have for each other. This ending is much more powerful than the original ending of Romeo and Juliet, where both parties get to escape the hell they were faced with. In this adaptation, Maria is forced to cope with the loss of both her brother and lover, having to stay strong and choosing to stay alive. Sumith Prasad writes an article about this for The Cinimaholic. In his passage about the ending of the musical, he writes, “For Maria, the deaths that ensue because of the gangs’ rivalry have reached a limit. She doesn’t prefer to add herself to the list pointlessly lost because of the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks.” Maria staying alive helps the musical to come to a strong closing, her life being the reason the Jets and Sharks decide to put aside fighting, and both parties now being able to live lives away from gang violence.
While Romeo and Juliet will always be a timeless piece, filled with tragedy, sorrow, and love, West Side Story was able to take that story and completely expand on it. Touching topics such as racism, oppression, forbidden love, and being strong enough to live through the grief that the world has put upon you. West Side Story is a brilliantly done piece of artwork, and easily overthrows its inspiration.
SOURCES
Camille Agie, OnstagePittsburgh, June 10th 2024.
Representation in ‘West Side Story,’ and Why it Matters
Manuel Cervera, Manuel Cervera Music, June 1, 2025
Movie Mood: How Music Affects Emotions in Film | Manuel Cervera Music
Sam Marshall, The Medium, Sept. 26, 2018
The Importance of West Side Story | by Sam Marshall | Medium
Jeromme Robbins, West Side Story, (WSS 2021)
Sumith Prasad, Cinimaholic, Dec 10th, 2021
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