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And now the rest of the 'Story'
Last Edit: WaymanWong 10:56 pm EST 12/23/21
Posted by: WaymanWong 10:50 pm EST 12/23/21
In reply to: WSS 1985 interview with Bernstein, Sondheim, Robbins,Laurents - raydan 07:48 pm EST 12/23/21

I've only begun listening to this 1985 ''West Side Story'' symposium, and Jerome Robbins is credited with the ''seed'' of the show. Robbins says an actor-friend had been offered the Shakespearean role of Romeo but was wrestling with it because he found Romeo so ''passive.'' The actor-friend asked Robbins how he would approach the part, and Robbins said he then envisioned a modern-day version of ''Romeo and Juliet.''

However, Robbins leaves out an important detail: His actor-friend was Montgomery Clift, who went on to become a legendary movie star.

Russ Tamblyn, who played Riff in the 1961 movie of ''West Side Story,'' was a guest earlier thie year at TCM's Classic Film Festival. He recalled Robbins discussing the musical's origins with the cast: ''He told us on the set one day that the idea really came from Montgomery Clift, who was Jerry’s boyfriend at the time. He said that he was with Monty at a party on Fire Island … [and Clift said] ‘I’ve got an idea for a musical. Why not have a musical about 'Romeo and Juliet' but make it with gangs in New York?’ And Jerry said that he just couldn’t get it out of his head.”
Link The Advocate: Turner Classic Movies Fest: 'West Side Story's' Queer Origins and Other LGBTQ+ Highlights (May 6, 2021)
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