Review: West Side Story Soundtrack
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that famed composer Leonard Bernstein's
score employs jazzy, complex rhythms, tight harmonies, and
vibrant, inventive arrangements. The CD tracks the Academy
Award-winning movie, which illustrates the disastrous results
of racism and lack of parental guidance combined with violence
and a gang mentality.
Families can talk about how racism is learned and how to help
abolish it. You could also discuss how economic and social
factors can contribute to a divided society, and ask your
children how they can create better outlets for their energy
and emotions.
This modern-day retelling of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" was groundbreaking when it hit Broadway in 1957 and exploded on the silver screen in 1961. WEST SIDE STORY is a masterful musical that enjoys continued appeal for its gripping score -- and, unfortunately, for its continued social relevance. This music captures the innocence, passion, tenacity, and excitement of youth with an underscored mood of tension and ultimate tragedy. For the first time, the songs are placed in the order they appear in the movie, developing from vibrant dance numbers and hopeful ballads to the anxious pieces following the rumble.
From the pride and camaraderie of "Jet Song" to the sassy "America," the beautiful love duets "Tonight" and "Somewhere," and the complex "Quintet" and "A Boy Like That," this show boasts musical gem after gem. The music is beautiful and touching, bawdy and exciting, tense and tragic. If your family loved the movie, you and your kids will want to experience it again and again with this soundtrack.
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