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West Side Stories - The Making of a Classic

Documentary about the musical West Side Story. Bruno Tonioli and Suzy Klein go in search of the true stories behind the inception of this classic show.

West Side Story is one of the best-loved musicals of all time. A modern-day Romeo and Juliet, its timeless story and exhilarating dance and music continue to excite audiences around the globe. Songs such as Maria, Somewhere, Tonight and America have all become some of the biggest hits in showbusiness. And yet, West Side Story had an uneasy birth and was even turned away by producers when it was first put together in the 1950s by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents.

As the world prepared to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of West Side Story in 2017, dancer Bruno Tonioli and broadcaster Suzy Klein went in search of the true stories behind the inception of this classic show. For the first time on television, they heard first-hand from those involved in the show when it opened on Broadway in September 1957, including Sondheim himself, producer Hal Prince and original cast members from both show and movie, including Chita Rivera, Carol Lawrence and Rita Moreno. With the BBC Symphony Orchestra and specially cast singers, we relive some of the wonderful music and, in the company of Suzy and Bruno, discover how West Side Story placed the 1950s phenomena of racial tension and teenage gangs centre stage to create a hit that changed musical theatre forever.

59 minutes

Last on

Mon 27 Dec 2021 15:35
BBC Two except Wales & Wales HD

Clip

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:03

    Leonard Bernstein

    Prologue

  • 00:03

    Leonard Bernstein

    America

    Performer: Betty Wand. Performer: George Chakiris.
  • 00:04

    Leonard Bernstein

    America

    Performer: Betty Wand. Performer: George Chakiris.
  • 00:07

    Nilla Pizzi

    Grazie Dei Fiori

  • 00:12

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (1880 Version)

  • 00:15

    Leonard Bernstein

    Jet Song

  • 00:16

    Nat King Cole

    Nature Boy

  • 00:16

    Members of the Cast

    Dance At The Gym

  • 00:24

    Leonard Bernstein

    Tonight

  • 00:29

    Tito Puente

    Cuban Mambo

  • 00:29

    Leonard Bernstein

    Dance At The Gym

  • 00:35

    Miles Davis Quintet

    'Round Midnight (Album Version)

  • 00:38

    Chita Rivera, Marilyn Cooper

    America

  • 00:39

    Leonard Bernstein

    A Boy Like That / I Have A Love

  • 00:40

    Leonard Bernstein

    A Boy Like That / I Have a Love

  • 00:52

    Leonard Bernstein

    Finale

  • 00:55

    Leonard Bernstein

    Somewhere

  • 00:58

    Leonard Bernstein

    Maria

    Performer: Jimmy Bryant.

Credits

Presenter Bruno Tonioli
Presenter Suzy Klein
Producer Ursula Macfarlane
Director Ursula Macfarlane
Executive Producer Ben Weston
Production Company Reef Television Ltd

Broadcasts

  • Boxing Day 2016 17:20
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Sat 31 Dec 2016 18:00
    BBC Two Scotland
  • Wed 4 Jan 2017 23:15
    BBC Two
  • Tue 17 Jan 2017 03:05
    BBC Two
  • Fri 22 Dec 2017 23:00
    BBC Four
  • Sat 23 Dec 2017 03:00
    BBC Four
  • Sat 25 Aug 2018 21:50
    BBC Four
  • Sun 26 Aug 2018 02:50
    BBC Four
  • Wed 27 Mar 2019 01:00
    BBC Four
  • Sun 26 May 2019 17:00
    BBC Two except Northern Ireland & Scotland & BBC Scotland
  • Sun 26 May 2019 19:00
    BBC Two Northern Ireland HD & Northern Ireland only
  • Sun 22 Mar 2020 22:00
    BBC Four
  • Mon 23 Mar 2020 02:35
    BBC Four
  • Sun 31 Jan 2021 22:00
    BBC Four
  • Sun 18 Jul 2021 16:15
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Mon 27 Dec 2021 14:35
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Mon 27 Dec 2021 15:35
    BBC Two except Scotland & Wales

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