West Side Story (1957 Original Broadway Cast)

Amazon.com:
What is there left to say about this musical, deservedly one of the most famous in the canon? Created by what lyricist Stephen Sondheim described as "a unique concatenation of people" (Leonard Bernstein, Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins), the show remains as explosively vibrant, daring, and modern as it was decades ago. Bernstein integrated Latin percussion and jazz into his electrifying score, dazzlingly translating New York's unique vitality into a musical idiom. West Side Story has been adapted for jazz and interpreted by pop and opera singers, but you owe it to yourself to check out the original version to see what the fuss was all about. This new reissue adds over 20 minutes of "symphonic dances" as well as liner notes and production photos. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Disc 1:

1. Prologue
2. Jet Song
3. Something's Coming
4. Dance at the Gym
5. Maria
6. Tonight
7. America
8. Cool
9. One Hand, One Heart
10. Tonight [Quintet and Chorus]
11. Rumble
12. I Feel Pretty
13. Somewhere (Ballet)
14. Gee, Officer Krupke
15. Boy Like That/I Have a Love
16. Finale
17. Prologue (Allegro Moderate) [*]
18. Somewhere (Adagio) [*]
19. Scherzo (Vivace E Leggiero) [*]
20. Mambo (Meno Presto) [*]
21. Cha-Cha (Andantino con Grazia) [*]
22. Meeting Scene (Meno Mosso) [*]
23. Cool Fugue (Allegretto) [*]
24. Rumble (Motto Allegro) [*]
25. Finale (Adagio) [*]

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Customer Reviews

Rating: - This Is the One!
There are many West Side Story recordings as is befitting one of the greatest scores written for Broadway: there are more polished recordings, more complete recordings, more operatic recordings, more contemporary recordings; but none of them comes close to capturing the excitement found here on the 1957 original cast album. I own many other recordings of this show, and love most of them, but if I could only keep one, this would be it. The singing isn't always flawless, and it has a harsher edge to ... Read More
Rating: - Revisiting an old friend
I was in my early teens when I first listened to this on vinyl.It still works. The music and lyrics are still cogent,even if they are a bit dated.
Rating: - The Standard for All Other WSS Productions
Words cannot describe how beautiful this recording is.WEST SIDE STORY is on my top ten list of my favorite musicals, and deservedly so.As the first musical to truly call performers to be not just singers, but accomplished actors and dancers as well, it was ahead of its time and still seems as fresh and alive today as it did 51 years ago.Its hard to believe that it was passed over for the Tony Award for Best Musical in favor of Meredith Wilson's THE MUSIC MAN, a masterpiece in its own right, but ... Read More
Rating: - Broadway Classic Every Collector Should Own
This an absolutely fantastic cast recording.No other recording even comes close. Usually some revival cast recordings bring something new and we sometimes even prefer the revival recording but of all the hundreds of cast recordings I own, there is absolutely nothing that tops this album.It is absolutely timeless and a master work. And for the price offered here on Amazon, there is no better deal in town.

Treat yourself to what I think is the absolute BEST Broadway show ever performed ... Read More
Rating: - Satisfying
Having a CD recording of "West Side Story" that is a duplicate of the original 33 1/3 LP record that first delighted me when it was issued shortly after the musical debuted on Broadway is a great pleasure.It is just as I remembered it only better because now I don't have to sit by the turntable to hear it!