West Side Story/Trivia


 * Creator Backlash: Stephen Sondheim doesn't think very highly of the lyrics he wrote for this. Some songs sound as simplistic as something a real New York teen would improvise ("Maria!/I've just met a girl named Maria/And suddenly that name/Will never be the same/To me.") while others sound too complex ("I feel pretty/Oh so pretty/I feel pretty and witty and gay!/And I pity/Any girl who isn't me today.").
 * What Could Have Been:
 * The first draft, East Side Story, starred a couple with conflicting religions.
 * An alternate opening showed the Jets in a clubhouse, fantasizing about going to the moon.
 * Maria would have sung about the murderous power of hate, instead of making a dramatic speech.
 * Early casting choices for the movie's Tony included Elvis Presley and Warren Beatty. Ironically, both of them had real-life affairs with Natalie Wood.