"West Side Story" is an icon of American popular culture. An update of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" with a plot that addresses issues of youth violence, racism and hatred, the show remains as topical today as when it opened in 1957. We'll first focus on the show's creation by four driven collaborators: Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim. Next, we'll consider the music, placing it in the context of American music of the time and how it helps with characterization and dramatic progress in the show. Finally, we'll look at the two films (1961, 2021) and the show's continuing international legacy.

Instructor bio: Paul Laird is professor emeritus of musicology at the University of Kansas, where two of his teaching specialties were Baroque music and music of the United States. He has published widely on such topics as Leonard Bernstein and American musical theater and won the 2021 KU Chancellor's Club Career Teaching Award. Paul has taught many Osher classes since the program's inception at KU.