When West Side Story opened on Broadway on September 26, 1957, it changed the nature of the American musical and challenged the country’s view of itself. The show dealt seriously with violence, adolescent gangs, and racial prejudice—themes rarely included in musicals—and ended with one of the show’s leads dead on stage. The integration of music, dance, and script and the theatricality of the staging were a revelation to audiences.

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Visit the exhibition in the foyer of the Performing Arts Reading Room in James Madison Building.

8:30am - 5:00pm Monday through Saturday

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This exhibition is supported by the Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Trust for the benefit of the Library of Congress.