The musical received rave reviews for its portrayal of gang life.
West Side Story opened on September 26, 1957 and ran for 732 performances before going on tour.

The 1961 film version featured Richard Beymer, Natalie Wood, George Chakiris and Rita Moreno, and is an energetic, widely-acclaimed, melodramatic musical - loose re-telling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet tragedy of feuding families, although the setting is the Upper West Side of New York City in the late 1950s.
West Side Story is still one of the best film adaptations of a musical ever created, and the finest musical film of the 60s.

Like many other musicals of its time, it was a successful Broadway stage play (first starring Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert).
An almost completely new cast was assembled, except for actor George Chakiris (who played Riff, NOT Bernardo, in the London production). Natalie Wood was chosen for the lead female role. And Richard Beymer, took the lead male role. Anita, was played by Rita Moreno, known for her role as Tuptim in The King and I (1956).
Supporting actor Russ Tamblyn, known for many roles in films such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) and Peyton Place (1957), played the role of Riff.

The singing of both leads was dubbed: Jimmy Bryant for Richard Beymer, and Marni Nixon for Natalie Wood, and the vocals by Rita Moreno were dubbed by Betty Wand. [Marni Nixon also dubbed Audrey Hepburn's singing voice in My Fair Lady (1964).]

This much-praised, blockbuster received eleven Academy Award nominations and won all but one. Its achievement as a ten Oscar winner has only been surpassed by two films (each with eleven Oscars): Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997).

Cast:-
Natalie Wood .... Maria
Richard Beymer .... Tony
Russ Tamblyn .... Riff
Rita Moreno .... Anita
George Chakiris .... Bernardo
Simon Oakland .... Lieutenant Schrank
Ned Glass .... Doc
William Bramley .... Officer Krupke