West Side Story’s stage score runs from the danced “Prologue” to a wordless “Finale,” with “Something’s Coming,” “Maria,” “Tonight,” “America,” “Cool,” “Somewhere” and “Gee, Officer Krupke” in between. Song by song, it retells Romeo and Juliet on the streets of 1950s New York, where Tony, a former member of the Jets, falls for Maria, the sister of the rival Sharks’ leader.
The musical has a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and it was conceived, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins (Music Theatre International). It opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 26, 1957, and played 732 performances before closing on June 27, 1959 (West Side Story official site, Ovrtur). At the 1958 Tonys it won for Robbins’s choreography and Oliver Smith’s scenic design; it was nominated for Best Musical but did not win (official site).
A note on themes: the show deals with gang violence, racism and a sexual assault in Act Two, and three characters die.
What are the songs in West Side Story, in order?
This is the stage running order, checked against the licensing list at Music Theatre International and the 1957 Broadway program as listed by Ovrtur. MTI breaks the second-act dream ballet into named parts (“Ballet Sequence,” “Scherzo,” “Somewhere,” “Procession and Nightmare”), and calls the first “Tonight” the “Balcony Scene.” The 1961 film rearranges several numbers; we explain that at the end.
| Song | Sung by | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Act One | ||
| Prologue | Danced by Jets and Sharks | The turf war, in dance |
| Jet Song | Riff and the Jets | Gang loyalty |
| Something’s Coming | Tony | A feeling his life will change |
| The Dance at the Gym | Jets and Sharks | Tony and Maria meet |
| Maria | Tony | Love at first sight |
| Tonight (Balcony Scene) | Tony and Maria | The fire-escape love duet |
| America | Anita and Shark Girls | The immigrant debate, as comedy |
| Cool | Riff and the Jets | Keeping a lid on the rage |
| One Hand, One Heart | Tony and Maria | A pretend wedding |
| Tonight (Quintet) | Company | Everyone’s plans for the night |
| The Rumble | Danced by Riff, Bernardo, Jets and Sharks | The fight, and two deaths |
| Act Two | ||
| I Feel Pretty | Maria and the Shark girls | Joy, before the news |
| Ballet Sequence / Scherzo | Company (danced) | A dream of a world without hate |
| Somewhere | Sung offstage by a solo voice; danced by company | The heart of the dream |
| Procession and Nightmare | Company | The dream collapses |
| Gee, Officer Krupke | Action and the Jets | Satire with a sting |
| A Boy Like That / I Have a Love | Anita and Maria | Grief against love |
| Taunting Scene | Anita and the Jets | The assault, and Anita’s lie |
| Finale | Company | Tony’s death, and a truce |
Act One songs explained
Prologue
The curtain rises not on a song but on movement. Through snapping fingers, sprints and scuffles, the Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks fight for the same few blocks of the West Side, and the police arrive to break it up. Robbins’s choreography tells you everything about these young men before anyone sings a note, and it sets the rule of the evening: in this show, dance carries the story.
Jet Song
Riff, leader of the Jets, rallies his gang and plans to challenge the Sharks to a final fight. The number is cocky and tight-knit, all about belonging: once you are a Jet, you are a Jet for life. It also plants the plot, because Riff intends to bring his old best friend, Tony, back into the fold for the challenge.
Something’s Coming
Tony, who has drifted away from the gang and works at Doc’s drugstore, agrees to go to that night’s dance as a favor to Riff. Alone, he admits he feels something about to happen, though he cannot say what. Restless and hopeful, it is the first sign that Tony wants a different life, and the audience knows exactly what is coming for him.
The Dance at the Gym
At a neighborhood dance meant to make peace, the gangs turn the floor into another battlefield, competing in a fierce mambo. In the middle of it, the noise drops away and Tony and Maria see each other for the first time. Maria has only just arrived from Puerto Rico, and her brother Bernardo leads the Sharks. Their first meeting is staged as a quiet bubble inside the chaos.
Maria
Walking away from the dance, Tony can think of nothing but her name. The song is a young man’s private rapture, with a soaring line that sounds almost like a prayer. It is also the first of the score’s great love songs, and one of the best-known tenor solos in the Broadway repertoire.
Tonight (Balcony Scene)
Tony finds Maria on the fire escape outside her family’s apartment, the show’s version of Shakespeare’s balcony. They sing of the night as if the world had narrowed to the two of them. It is tender and urgent, and it ends with a plan to meet again the next day.
America
On a rooftop, the Shark girls argue about life in New York. Anita, Bernardo’s girlfriend, champions the city with sharp, funny jabs, while Rosalia pines for Puerto Rico. Set to a crackling rhythm, the song is a showstopper, and under the jokes is a real debate about what America promises newcomers and what it delivers.
Cool
Before the war council with the Sharks, the Jets are jumpy and spoiling for a fight. Riff tells them to stay in control and save it for later. Bernstein builds the number from jazz, with a tense, finger-snapping dance that keeps threatening to explode. It shows how close to the edge these boys live.
One Hand, One Heart
Maria works at a bridal shop, and after hours she and Tony stage a pretend wedding among the dress forms. The song is simple and solemn, a vow made by two people who know their families would never allow it. Coming just before the violence, it is the show’s most innocent moment.
Tonight (Quintet)
As night falls, five groups sing at once: the Jets and the Sharks, each promising to win the fight; Anita, looking forward to a night with Bernardo; and Tony and Maria, waiting to see each other. Bernstein layers all of these melodies into one tightly wound ensemble, the musical equivalent of everyone’s plans heading for a collision.
The Rumble
The fight under the highway is danced. Tony arrives to stop it, at Maria’s request, but in the chaos Bernardo kills Riff, and Tony, in a rage, kills Bernardo. Act One ends with sirens and two dead young men, and Tony’s hopes for a new life in pieces.
Act Two songs explained
I Feel Pretty
The act opens on Maria and her friends, giddy as she gets ready to meet Tony, unaware of what has happened. The number is playful and light, a waltz full of teasing and vanity. Its innocence is deliberate: the audience knows the news that is about to arrive.
Ballet Sequence and Scherzo
Tony comes to Maria, and when she learns what he has done, she still chooses him. The walls of her room fall away into a dream ballet, a vision of a place where the gangs can live in peace. The “Scherzo” is the bright, dancing opening of that dream.
Somewhere
At the center of the ballet, a solo voice, sung offstage in the original staging by a character listed as Consuelo, imagines a place and time for the lovers (Ovrtur). It is the score’s great hymn of longing. The 1961 film and many later productions give it to Tony and Maria themselves, which makes it more personal and less dreamlike.
Procession and Nightmare
The dream turns into a procession, a ceremony that feels like a wedding, and then into a nightmare as the violence of the rumble breaks back in. Tony and Maria wake together, holding on to each other.
Gee, Officer Krupke
Hiding from the police, the remaining Jets act out a vaudeville routine for each other, mocking the cop, the judge, the psychiatrist and the social worker who have all tried to explain them. It is the show’s funniest number and its bitterest: the boys know that society has labeled them and given up. Placing it after the deaths makes the comedy hurt.
A Boy Like That / I Have a Love
Anita, grieving Bernardo, finds out that Maria has been with his killer, and turns on her. Maria answers that she loves Tony and cannot change it. The duet moves from fury to understanding, and by the end Anita agrees to help the lovers escape.
Taunting Scene
Anita goes to Doc’s drugstore to give Tony a message from Maria. The Jets block her, mock her and assault her. In anger and pain, she tells them that Maria is dead. It is staged with dance and music rather than a song, and it is the turning point that brings on the tragedy.
Finale
Believing Maria is gone, Tony runs into the streets and begs Chino, the young Shark who was meant to marry her, to find him. He sees Maria alive in the moment Chino shoots him, and he dies in her arms. Maria stops the gangs from fighting over his body, and Jets and Sharks together carry him away to a quiet return of “Somewhere.”
Want to play these songs yourself? Bernstein’s harmonies, from the jazzy chords of “Cool” to the soaring lines of “Maria,” are a great workout for pianists who want to go beyond basic chords. Try Pianoforall.
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How is the song order different in the West Side Story film?
The 1961 film moves three numbers. “Gee, Officer Krupke” and “I Feel Pretty” come before the rumble, and “Cool” comes after it, sung by the Jets as they try to hold themselves together after Riff’s death (West Side Story official site; Wikipedia, third check). On stage, “Cool” is a warning before the fight and “Krupke” is comic relief after it. The film’s order changes the emotional temperature of both songs, which is why the question comes up so often.
If you love classic scores that tell a tragedy through song, see our Les Misérables songs explained and Phantom of the Opera songs explained guides. For a modern New York story told almost entirely in song, try our Hamilton songs explained guide.
Sources: Music Theatre International; West Side Story official site; Ovrtur; West Side Story FAQs; Wikipedia (third check).
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous song from West Side Story?
“Tonight,” “Maria,” “America” and “Somewhere” are the best known. “Tonight” is the love duet on the fire escape, “Maria” is Tony’s solo after meeting her, “America” is Anita’s rooftop showstopper, and “Somewhere” is the hymn at the heart of the Act Two dream ballet.
How many songs are in West Side Story?
Music Theatre International’s licensing list has 21 numbered items, 11 in Act One and 10 in Act Two, counting dance sequences like the “Prologue,” “The Rumble” and the “Taunting Scene.” The 1957 Broadway program grouped a few of these differently.
Who wrote the songs for West Side Story?
Leonard Bernstein wrote the music and Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics. Arthur Laurents wrote the book, and Jerome Robbins conceived, directed and choreographed the original 1957 production.
Who sings “Somewhere” in West Side Story?
On stage, “Somewhere” is traditionally sung by a solo offstage voice during the dream ballet; the 1957 program credits a character called Consuelo. In the 1961 film, Tony and Maria sing it to each other, and many productions now follow that approach.
Why is “Gee, Officer Krupke” in a different place in the movie?
The 1961 film swapped “Cool” and “Gee, Officer Krupke,” putting the comic “Krupke” before the rumble and the tense “Cool” after it, and moved “I Feel Pretty” earlier too. On stage, “Krupke” comes after Riff and Bernardo die.
