How 'West Side Story' Gave Romeo and Juliet a New Home in America

The musical play by Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein opened 50 years ago this month in New York. First of two parts with songs from the original cast recording.
16 September 2007

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Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

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And I'm Shirley Griffith.

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Jerome Robbins' idea was to make a musical play about the hatred between Americans of different cultures. He and Leonard Bernstein decided to base the play on the tensions caused by the immigration of Puerto Ricans to New York City.

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