Question 1

True or false: Leonard Bernstein wrote the music for 'West Side Story' as a direct adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' set in 1920s New York.

Accepted Answer

False. The setting was contemporary 1950s New York, not the 1920s. The idea originated with Jerome Robbins and was updated to reflect then-current gang rivalries.

Question 2

True or false: The Sharks and Jets gangs in 'West Side Story' were originally based on real New York street gangs from the 1940s called the 'Sharks' and 'Jets.'

Accepted Answer

False. The gang names were invented for the show. The creators drew inspiration from real gang conflicts in New York, but 'Sharks' and 'Jets' are fictional names, not taken from actual 1940s gangs.

Question 3

True or false: The original 1957 Broadway production of 'West Side Story' won a Tony for Best Choreography but lost Best Musical to 'The Music Man.'

Accepted Answer

True. 'The Music Man' won Best Musical in 1958; 'West Side Story' did win the choreography Tony for Jerome Robbins, but it was a surprise underdog at the time.

Question 4

True or false: In the 1961 film West Side Story, actors Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer provided their own singing voices for the songs.

Accepted Answer

False. They were dubbed by Marni Nixon and Jimmy Bryant, respectively.

Question 5

True or false: Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the lyrics for 'West Side Story,' was only 27 years old when the show opened on Broadway.

Accepted Answer

True. Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930, and West Side Story premiered on September 26, 1957, making him 27.

Question 6

True or false: The iconic song 'Somewhere' was originally written for a different musical called 'East Side Story' before being repurposed.

Accepted Answer

False. 'Somewhere' was always part of 'West Side Story.' 'East Side Story' was an early working title that was abandoned, but the song wasn't recycled from elsewhere.

Question 7

True or false: The role of Maria was originally offered to Audrey Hepburn for the 1961 film adaptation, but she turned it down due to pregnancy.

Accepted Answer

True. Hepburn was pregnant and could not commit. Natalie Wood, who is not Latina, was cast instead, which sparked later controversy about representation.

Question 8

True or false: Jerome Robbins, the original choreographer, was fired from the 1961 film but was later rehired after the studio realized they needed his expertise.

Accepted Answer

False. Robbins was fired as co-director but remained as choreographer throughout; he was never completely removed from the production and then rehired.

West Side Story Trivia Questions