No 4. “Tonight (Quintet)” (West Side Story, 1959)

Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Arthur Laurents. Conceived by Jerome Robbins.

West Side Story was a collaboration of reigning and emerging musical theater supernovas—Leonard Bernstein (renowned composer equally at home on Broadway and symphonic stages), Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins (revered, innovative, and tyrannical choreographer), Stephen Sondheim (genius-in-training, Oscar Hammerstein’s protege), and Hal Prince (soon-to-become one of the most influential people in theater history). Together, they crafted an experimental evening that:

• weaves modern jazz music throughout a thrilling dramatic score

• uses dance, music, and drama in equal measures to tell a story

• feels at home in a classical theater, opera house, or ballet company.

They were so successful in this experiment that no one has really attempted it since. But West Side Story’s biggest impact was on how musicals were performed. Prior to WSS, musicals typically had large ensembles of nameless, characterless townsfolk that were often separated into singing and dancing choruses. West Side Story did away with both ensembles and replaced them with versatile “triple threats” who could handle musical, dramatic, and choreographic challenges. The “Tonight (Quintet)” can stand shoulder to shoulder with high opera (is anything more exciting then the moment all the voices come together at the end?)…only in West Side the cast has to launch into a demanding dance/fight sequence once they finish singing their faces off.

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