Page "West Side Story" Paragraph 135

In 2007, Arthur Laurents stated, " I've come up with a way of doing Side Story that will make it absolutely contemporary without changing a word or a note.

" He directed a pre-Broadway production of West Side Story at the National Theatre in Washington, D. C. that ran from December 15, 2008 through January 17, 2009.

The Broadway revival began previews at the Palace Theatre on February 23, 2009 and opened on March 19, 2009.

The production wove Spanish lyrics and dialogue into the English libretto.

The translations are by Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Laurents stated, " The musical theatre and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters to have authenticity.

Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then.

Now they actually will be.

Only Tony and Maria try to live in a different world ".

In August 2009, some of the lyrics for " A Boy Like That " (" Un Hombre Asi ") and " I Feel Pretty " (" Me Siento Hermosa "), which were previously sung in Spanish in the revival, were changed back to the original English.

However, the Spanish lyrics sung by the Sharks in the " Tonight " ( Quintet ) remained in Spanish.