West Side Story - Now in Spanish!

Cafe Society
1

I’m sure that this is old news to New Yorkers and theatre mavens, but it was news to me last night. I was talking to some guy about West Side Story and he asked if that was the play where half of the dialog was in Spanish. Huh? No, dumbass, it has Puerto Rican characters but it’s in English. Anyone who’s seen the movie 100 times (like I have) knows this.

But seriously, a huge amount of dialog and lyrics were in Spanish. At first I thought it was kind of cool but after a while it just became a gimick. It was easy to understand, but maybe because I’ve seen the movie 100 times and have the plot burned into my brain.

2

Verisimilitude. Puerto Rican New Yorkers often converse among themselves in Spanish.

3

Yes, of course. And it was cool at first, but after a while it seemed a little pretentious.

4

Once again, drama is sacrificed for the false god of verisimilitude. IIRC, the amount of Spanish in the production was slowly reduced as the run continued.

5

You mean there was more?

6

Si’

7

Even second generation?

Speaking of which, was it ever really made clear how recently the characters (or their families) came to the States? Because if they were second generation, then even having accents (like from what I recall in the movie) would be kind of off.

8

dose en un cuarto en america.

9

Yes, they were recent arrivals.

“Ai! Bernardo! One month have I been in this country-do I ever
even touch excitement? I sew all day, I sit all night. For what
did my fine brother bring me here?”

10

And how come when Tony runs through the Puerto Rican neighborhood yelling “MARIA!” only one woman comes to her window?
(joke totally unoriginal)