For anyone who knows me they know I love Musicals and one of those is West Side Story which I had the opportunity to see in the Theater. But Charlie and I went with a couple friends who ended up not caring for the show and we left in the middle of the movie.
But now that they are playing West Side Story in the Theaters, I plan on going on Monday to see the movie and I believe Charlie is going to go with me because he wants to know what happens in the Musical just as much as I want to know.
Then Charlie and I will study West Side Story in our Homeschool Drama Class and one of the resources I will be using is this magaazine we found at the store the other day. Would you like to join us at the movie or come and join in our Homeschool Class and learn more about West Side Story?
West Side Story is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.
Inspired by William Shakespeare‘s play Romeo and Juliet, the story is set in the mid-1950s in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, then a multiracial, blue-collar neighborhood. The musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The members of the Sharks, from Puerto Rico, are taunted by the Jets, a white gang.[1] The young protagonist, Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang’s leader, Riff, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in musical theatre.
The original 1957 Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Robbins, marked Sondheim’s Broadway debut. It ran for 732 performances before going on tour. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in 1958, winning two.[2] The show had an even longer-running West End production, a number of revivals, and international productions. A 1961 musical film adaptation, co-directed by Robert Wise and Robbins, starred Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won ten, including Best Picture. A 2021 film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg, starred Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler.
Wikipedia
Reading Class:
Search online for a book based on West Side Story to read during Reading Class. Then inside your Reading Journal write down 5 things you didn’t know about the Movie.
Charlie picked out West Side Story to read in our Reading Class.
Spelling Class:
Make a list of words you didn’t know from the book you read which will be used in this week’s Spelling test. Write the Spelling words inside your Spelling notebook and include definitions for each of the words.
Music Class:
See if you can find songs on YouTube from the Musical or the words to the songs on Google. Pick one of the songs out to learn and perform for your parents.
West Side Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is one of the Gifts I purchased for Charlie for our School Library/ Music Class, and we can also use the Album to decorate our Music Wall with.
Cooking Class:
Research what they used to eat during the time West Side story was made and prepare one of the dishes that they used to eat during this time for your Homeschool Cooking Class.
Art Class;
Create a piece of Art based on what you learned from West Side Story and write a description of your Drawing inside your Art Journal.
Additional Lesson Plans:
West Side Story ESL Lesson Plan | Study.com
Lesson Planet/ Lessons on West Side Story
Teach with Movies- West Side Story
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
