America – West Side Story Redux (with Christine Chen)

America (the song) has different lyrics on-stage than it does in the original movie. Christine and Kyle try to figure out what works better and how this shows that West Side Story is more than just a romance.

Show Notes

Christine's Blog: https://acrossthearch.wordpress.com
Christine's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcrossTheArch

Christine's podcast, Bottomless Broadway: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bottomless-broadway/id1457465060
Its Twitter: https://twitter.com/bottomlessbway
And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bottomlessbway/

You can purchase Stephen Sondheim's first book of lyrics, Finishing the Hat, by going here: https://amzn.to/2LB9ZJo

We are using three productions to frame our discussion of West Side Story.
The Original Broadway Cast (1957) starring Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence, Ken LeRoy, and Chita Rivera.

You can listen to it on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/west-side-story-original-broadway-cast-recording/186302499

Or listen to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3knRTstKrILa8wx8IGGqn6?si=2Zp8BOvbTPmCpbzr4wgoQQ

Or buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/West-Side-Story-Larry-Kert/dp/B007IJKD6W/

The film version (1961) starring Richard Beymer, Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, and Rita Moreno.

You can listen to it on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/west-side-story-1961-motion-picture-soundtrack/394303992

Or listen to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1kA4RO70idrEQkOX3zlRfa?si=5MO05RHdRpSwqWDYCtMnNw

Or buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/West-Side-Story-Leonard-Bernstein/dp/B00023GGK8/

The Broadway revival (2009) starring Matt Cavenaugh, Josefina Scaglione, George Akram, and Karen Olivo.

You can listen to it on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/west-side-story-new-broadway-cast-recording-2009/316530985

Or listen to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2tMSkFy27VIZjBum94KbpD?si=zAAuIC_PQWymu0xfd_XR9Q

Or buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/West-Side-Story-Broadway-Recording/dp/B0021X5158/

Our sponsors this week are:

1. ATB Cares - https://www.atbcares.com - ATB Cares makes it easy for all Albertans to support the causes they care about. In addition to your donation ATB will match 20% of every dollar donated to to an annual limit of $360,000 to Alberta-based, non-religious charities. Eligible charities may receive up to $5,000 in matching per year. Individual donations qualify for a maximum donation match of $500.
2. The Alberta Podcast Network - https://www.albertapodcastnetwork.com - They promote and support Alberta-made podcasts, and connect their audiences with Alberta-based businesses and organizations. Check out Kyle and Dave vs The Machine here: https://kdvstm.transistor.fm - A podcast where a sentient machine forces Kyle and Dave to watch films in order to prevent the apocalypse.

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Putting It Together is a proud member of The Alberta Podcast Network: Locally grown. Community supported. Here's their link again: https://www.albertapodcastnetwork.com

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What is Putting It Together?

This is a podcast about Stephen Sondheim's entire body of work show by show and song by song. Each week Kyle Marshall invites an expert to discuss a Sondheim song in-depth. Together they discover the humour, how the songs inform character, and any hidden meanings. Most importantly they try to understand the man behind the music, the Shakespeare of our time, as best they can.