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West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic (2016)

West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic (2016)

Documentary
Release Date: 2016, December 26
Directors: Ursula Macfarlane
Countries: United Kingdom
Production: BBC
Cast: Rita Moreno, Chita Rivera, Jerome Robbins, Bruno Tonioli, Carol Lawrence

Overview:

As the world prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of West Side Story in 2017, dancer Bruno Tonioli and broadcaster Suzy Klein go in search of the true stories behind the inception of this classic show. For the first time on television, they hear 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 re-live some of the wonderful music and, in the company of Suzy and Bruno, we 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.