When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dyin' day!

Just completed my Christmas tradition: watching the Academy Award-winning WEST SIDE STORY. This time, my 16-year old sister watched the film with me. She is a film buff (wants to be a film critic) and this was her first time watching the film. For the record, she enjoys musicals and has pretty informed opinions on films, despite her young age.

She laughed. She laughed and laughed and laughed. Apparently the film is too dated for her. AND she didn't like most of the music. AND she was confused as to what age they all were.

And you know what? To an extent, I agree with her.

We now know that an "updated" WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Broadway next season directed by Arthur Laurents. We've been speculating, fun-heartedly, as to what his fresh concept is.

Watching this film again, however, which won 10 Oscars mind you, and is considered one of the best films of all time, and the stage musical considered one of the best of all time...I can't help but think it cannot be improved upon for today's generation.

Part of the reason as to what made the original stage production and film so great was its use of the actor in its storytelling. The actor had to act while singing and dancing - singing and especially dancing that told the story in ways never before done. Decades later, the artform of storytelling has further evolved and we have had more masterpieces make their mark in history.

Sure, we can now take this show and make the choreography and costumes and characters and book more contemporary...but the music and lyrics are still the same...can they make this classic music mesh with new, updated storytelling? The spirit of WEST SIDE STORY will always be timeless, but I hope that Laurents achieves the goal of this new production and succeeds in making the show work better for today's generation.

It breaks my heart to think that WEST SIDE STORY will only be thought of as a great film of its time, and not for today and tomorrow.

---

I 100% agree with Emcee.

"AND she didn't like most of the music."

Well, while she is entitled to her opinion, the fact that she doesn't like the music causes me to take her opinion with a grain of salt.

And great point, emcee.

---

Emcee - I figured that went unspoken. I wasn't clear, but I was referring to the impact of the film's message -- not looking at it as a piece of art.

---

I'll always feel this film is just brilliant in every way. The music is sumptuous, the choreography is energetic, beautiful, and absolutely electric, and the story is gripping.

I've never once felt to laugh except at the funny parts. though when I watch it with newbies they always laugh at the beginning when they start dancing. I guess I'm so accustomed to the conventions of the musical world I'm much more easily inclined to accept it.

Not everyone will like it but there is no doubt in my mind that this is a truly great film. And as ridiculously cliche as this sounds, as long as there is hate in this world this movie will be relevant. And touch us and cause us to reflect. Thats what I look for in a great film.

---

WEST SIDE STORY is my favorite musical of all time...always has been since the first time I saw it in elementary school.

When I was a senior at my fine arts academy high school I got the pleasure of playing Tony in our production of WEST SIDE STORY. Up until that year we had always done fun and lively musicals for our large production of the year (Anything Goes, Crazy For You, Oklahoma, Bye Bye Birdie, etc...). So, when we did WEST SIDE STORY my senior year for our large production we weren't sure how the student body was going to react.

Well, it ended up being our most popular production while I was in high school and made us the most money. The student body was so fascinated by it and LOVED it. The jocks...intellectuals...band nerds...all kinds of students came and everyone was amazed by it.

While it is dated...there is something to captivating about this show and the characters that it will always be cherished by many people. WEST SIDE STORY tells such a beautiful story in such a way that many shows don't anymore. It truly is an incredible experience to watch it live on stage and I think that people will always go see it because it's easy to identify with it.

---

Obviously if my sister and all the people others here have mentioned who laughed at the film weren't affected by it, it's not as impacting as we want to believe.

I adore the film and was deeply affected by it the first time I saw it. That being said - I understand that it was easier for me to be affected by it as a musical theatre fan and as one who already knew some of the music.

I think we can all agree that the film is less impacting today as it was back in 1961, generally speaking. Of course it still works its magic, but to a lesser magnitude. And it is less to do with the film (which will always remain great) as it has to do with how our generations are evolving. And that's a sad shame, IMO.

---

I usually need to see musicals like WSS a second time to really appreciate/respect them. And I did. I watched it first with my brother, a pessimist know it all who made fun of it the whole way through, so it was impossible for me to enjoy it. Then, I watched it again alone and fell in love.

To the poster who said that West Side Story is not relatable - say what? We don't have gangs today? This same race crap isn't going on today? If you made this same movie and put in hip-hop dancing and rap music what do you think a sixteen year old would think of it forty-seven years from now? If a sixteen-year-old "film buff" wannabe "film critic" cannot understand CONTEXT and history, then she'll just be fine reviewing the crap they make today, but will never understand what film is all about unless she gets over her todayness and actually watch some older films - is Casablanca dated? Only to a fool. Is Chaplin's City Lights dated? Only to a fool. Even when I was sixteen I didn't "laugh" at older films - I loved them because they showed me a different time, different and wonderful actors, blah, blah, blah. You can't be a "film buff" if you can't see beyond your own generation.

I think the issue has been very well addressed by previous posters, but I'm sitting at home pretty bored during Christmas break, and well, I hardly pass up the chance to discuss my favorite show.

Shesamarshmallow had an excellent point that I was going to address -- you too quickly go from saying someone didn't like the film to assuming that means people won't like the show. Though the film is without a doubt one of the best of its kind, and stays fairly faithful to the story, you still can't forget that they are separate entities. For example, my sister saw my high school's production of WSS and loved it, but couldn't fall in love with the film the same way because she couldn't get past the gangs ballet dancing in the actual playgrounds. But she had no problem accepting them ballet dancing on stage with a playground scenery. That, I think, is more reflective of how audiences more easily suspend disbelief, at least in the matter of ballet dancing, on the stage than on the screen. So that's one point.

Also, I can't say I love Richard Beymer's or Natalie Wood's (and I'm sure would disagree with me where she is concerned) performances in the film. The dubbing certainly doesn't help, but I don't know, with the other talented actors playing the other parts, their parts seem a little more boring.

And I could also go on my rant on some of the small musical changes in the film that irk me very much, but I'm sure that's not really the issue so I'll let that slide.

I will say I can't agree more with sticktopriest when he says: "Well, while she is entitled to her opinion, the fact that she doesn't like the music causes me to take her opinion with a grain of salt." Even if you want to argue that some aspects of the book are dated, which I may address in a bit, the score is anything but. Bernstein created the score in such a compact, connected way that West Side Story has a sound on its own. And it's so exciting. I could be playing "Cool" on my reed 2 part at home for fun, and there's a part when I have a rest, but it just builds so amazingly that I can't help but find myself singing the next part and dancing and getting so into it -- I would even do that in the pit (assuming the audience couldn't see me, of course).

Furthermore, take something like the Tonight Quintet. Well, let's consider for a minute "the world's most popular musical" -- Les Miserables. One of the most popular moments of this popular show is "One Day More." And it's been pointed out time and again that it is very similar and uses the same formula as the Tonight Quintet (Don't get me wrong, I love One Day More in its own right). And I think the quintet, like I already mentioned, has this moving tension to it that I think makes such a powerful moment even greater. I see no good reason it wouldn't be as, or more popular loved by *today's* generation.

So in terms of the "datedness" of the book -- most issue in terms of datedness has been taking with some of the dialogue, no? Wacko Jacko, etc. Again, I just think it's all part off the suspension of disbelief that you bring in when watching the show on stage, but it...works. There's something about "Krup you" that is so much more effective than the alternative. I mean, can any of us really imagine the gangs walking around saying yo yo, wut up dawg? It's justifiable that West Side Story has its own musical language, there's no reason it shouldn't have its own "gang language." I think it's much more...frightening and surprising to see the Jets attempt to rape Anita when they're not using the hardcore slurs of today.

I won't further dwell on the whole relevance of hatred thing, as that has been excellently pointed out. But one other point is important into integrating West Side Story into...not only today's generation, but today's curriculum. In 9th grade, in my high school, everyone reads Romeo & Juliet. So my senior year, when we put on WSS, our high school scheduled it so during the normal school day, the entire ninth grade would come see it and relate it to Romeo & Juliet in their classes. It's so interesting to analyze how...really intelligently they adapted from Romeo & Juliet.

Another thought I just though of...even some of my straight male friends love it. That's an accomplishment

I still fully believe West Side Story to be the best show in Broadway history, and I for one...though I'm wary about...certain things, still I could not be more excited to be a professional production of this.

When it comes down to it, where WSS is concerned...all I can think about the excitement that must come in seeing all that tension, dancing, everything on the stage...the excitement really can't be equaled in film, no matter how well made.

Oh wait, one more thing: "AND she was confused as to what age they all were. " Please don't tell me you're using this as a serious criticism. Because in today's films, actors always look the age they are playing

So thank you to those of you who are still reading for indulging a bored, suburbia-bound, West Side Story fanatic

*updated for editing*

---

"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli

Updated On: 12/26/07 at 12:48 AM

I definitely agree Jennifer Lynn.

And for me, the WORST part is the guy they got to friggin dub isn't even as good as Larry Kert!

---

In college, we watched WEST SIDE STORY in my film class and majority of the people snickered and went "ugh" every time they broke out dancing . . . especially during the very beginning.

---