West Side Story

Ben Mankiewicz introduces West Side Story, 1961.

Ben Mankiewicz introduces West Side Story, 1961.

Ben Mankiewicz introduces West Side Story, 1961.

Ben Mankiewicz introduces West Side Story, 1961.

Ben Mankiewicz introduces West Side Story, 1961.

Ben Mankiewicz introduces West Side Story, 1961.

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One of the earliest, briefest and best-remembered songs from the piece, Leonard Bernstein music, Stephen Sondheim lyric, Jerome Robbins’ dance, Russ Tamblyn leading the New York street gang (Tucker Smith, Tony Mordente, David Winters et al), in West Side Story, 1961.

The show-stopping number for Rita Morena in her Academy Award-winning role as Puerto Rican Anita, George Chakiris similarly honored as her boyfriend Bernardo, the song by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, in West Side Story, 1961.

Russ Tamblyn as Riff, leader of the Polish-American "Jets," entertains his buddies with the popular novelty number by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, William Bramley his subject, Jerome Robbins choregoraphy in West Side Story, 1961.

Immediately following the intermission, Marni Nixon's voice for Natalie Wood as "Maria," the hit song by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, from West Side Story, 1961.

Enraptured on the night of their meeting, Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) on the fire escapes, director Robert Wise mingling the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim song with Ernest Lehman's script, singing voices by Marni Nixon and Jimmy Bryant, in West Side Story, 1961.