westsidestory

West Side Story: The Main Characters, Ranked By Intelligence
The numerous characters that appear in the movie West Side Story display very different levels of intelligence as they move through the plot.

BY THOMAS WEST

There are few musicals quite as beloved and enduring as West Side Story, which continues to cast a unique spell over half a decade since the original movie entered theaters. The new movie from Steven Spielberg manages to capture much of what made the original movie musical so endearing while also charting its own path, giving audiences new interpretations of its timeless characters.
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petzipellepingo

Women and Gender in Musicals Week: Female Friendship, Madonna/Whore Stereotypes and Rape Culture in 'West Side Story'

Posted by Megan "The Opinioness" Kearns

[Trigger warning for rape] | Spoilers ahead

West Side Story is one of my absolute favorite musicals. I adore the catchy lyrics, the breathtakingly exquisite choreography and cinematography, the heartbreaking love story. A modern Romeo and Juliet taking place in New York City amongst two rival gangs -- one white, one Puerto Rican -- it tackles racism, bigotry, murder and teen angst. But many audiences overlook the film’s portrayal of gender, female friendship and rape culture.

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petzipellepingo

The trouble with Tony. ( Read more... )

petzipellepingo

Riff Lorton, the Lost Boy

title or description

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petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

Riff Lorton, the Lost Boy

title or description

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insaneladybug.livejournal.com

Gah, I have been so muddled the past week. Crystal's and my tribute website to Simon Oakland opened last Sunday (on what would have been his 96th birthday), but I was unable to start the promotional efforts as soon as I wanted.

So, without further delay, here it is: http://sites.google.com/site/unofficialsimonoaklandtribute/ There is a short bio for Lieutenant Schrank included, as well as a full section of the website devoted to him.

Also, my musing at our companion blog today talks a lot about Schrank, if anyone is interested: http://simonoaklandtribute.blogspot.com/2011/09/captain-beechum-and-lieutenant-schrank.html

Current Mood: accomplished

insaneladybug.livejournal.com

This is my first post, but I've been lurking for a while. It's nice to see a comm for this production! It would also be nice if it were more active.

I popped in because I wrote something West Side Story-related and I thought maybe someone here would find it of interest. It's an analysis of Lieutenant Schrank, a character who is sadly ignored and largely misunderstood for the most part, when he's taken notice of at all. I put it here: http://hated-character.livejournal.com/429106.html

Current Mood: tired

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

Arthur Laurents has said, “This is a story of love that cannot survive in a world of bigotry and violence.” The central love story is that of Tony and Maria; but Mr. Laurents says the entire production is motivated by love, beginning with the first scene between Tony and Riff. If Tony “loves him like a brother” and Riff is willing to die for him, their relationship must be carefully and organically established for the tragic story to work.

http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2011/01/theatre-review-west-side-story-at-the-fox/

Actor Paul Nolan, who played the part of Tony in a recent lauded production at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, commented on the need to make Tony believable as a gang member. As he says, "It was very important to me to portray Tony so that he was believable as the alpha - to go so far as to think of Tony as the leader of the gangs, the older brother figure to Riff. I wanted him to be tough; to have enough grit inside him that an audience would believe he "could" snap, leading him to kill Bernardo". Paul Nolan, interview with author Elizabeth Wells, August 21, 2009. West Side Story : Cultural Perspectives on an American Musical, pp. 185-186.

Current Mood: thoughtful

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Entries tagged with character analysis

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The Simon Oakland Tribute Website

Hi there!

Interesting

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December 2023

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