Leonard Bernstein’s Les Miserables and West Side Story are both based on historical events, but they take different approaches in terms of the story that is being told. Les Miserables is a more traditional opera, while West Side Story is a more modern musical. They both have their own strengths and weaknesses, but ultimately it comes down to personal preference as to which one is better.
Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean, who is sentenced to prison for stealing a loaf of bread. He eventually escapes and becomes a hero of the revolution. West Side Story tells the story of two gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – who are rivals in New York City. The Jets are white, and the Sharks are Puerto Rican. The story follows the love affair between Tony, a Jet, and Maria, a Shark.
One of the main differences between Les Miserables and West Side Story is the setting. Les Miserables is set in France during the 1800s, while West Side Story is set in New York City in the 1950s. This means that Les Miserables has a more traditional opera feel to it, while West Side Story is more modern. Les Miserables also has a much larger cast, with over 50 characters, while West Side Story only has 10 characters.
In the last century, two musicals have set themselves apart from their comedic counterparts. Les Miserables and West Side Story are dramas with a more substantial message that have captured people’s attention through revivals and film versions.
Both are based on classic literature with similar universal social issues that can be understood by everyone. In 1950s New York, Lenard Bernstein, Steven Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins created West Side Story . Composer Claude-Michael Schonberg and lyricist Alain Boublil’s Les Miserables is based on Victor Hugo’s book of the same name.
Les Misérables premiered in Paris in 1980 and ran for nineteen years. Les Misérables took Broadway by storm in 1987 and ran for sixteen years. Les Miserables has been translated into 21 languages and has been seen by more than 70 million people worldwide while West Side Story has been translated into 15 languages and seen by more than 100 million people.
Both Les Miserables and West Side Story share similar messages about society. Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man who is released from prison after 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. He is relentlessly pursued by the ruthless Inspector Javert.
On the other hand, West Side Story is about two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, who fall in love with the same girl. The Jets are white and the Sharks are Puerto Rican. The themes of Les Miserables include redemption, revolution, and moral courage while the themes of West Side Story include prejudice, social injustice, and young love.
Despite their serious tones, Les Miserables and West Side Story are both entertaining musicals. Les Miserables has been called an “epic” musical due to its large scale and grandeur. West Side Story is known for its energetic dances, such as the Sharks’ “mambo” and the Jets’ “duel dance.”
Leonard Bernstein was a master at creating memorable melodies, and his music for both Les Miserables and West Side Story is no exception. Les Miserables features the song “I Dreamed a Dream,” which has been covered by many artists, including Susan Boyle. West Side Story contains the song “Maria,” which was made popular by The Andrews Sisters and later by Whitney Houston.
Both Les Miserables and West Side Story are timeless classics that will continue to be enjoyed by audiences for years to come.
Their unusuality, in addition to their longevity, has made them more than just a passing cultural fad. Both musicals were initially greeted with indifference and were not given the same acclaim as their lighthearted counterparts, but after seeing them all the way through, they have outdone most other musicals in terms of affecting audiences. Bernstein saw great promise in musical comedy and believed that a masterpiece work of art would emerge roughly like the Magic Flute by Mozart did for the 1750 singspiel.
Les miserables is an example of the potential power Les miserables had to move people. One of the main reasons for the continued success of Les Miserables and West Side Story is the high-quality music that was composed for each musical. Leonard Bernstein is considered to be one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century, and his work on West Side Story helped to make it one of the most successful Broadway musicals ever. The music in Les Miserables is also very powerful, and has been praised by critics and audiences alike.
Both Les Miserables and West Side Story have also been successful in terms of their theatrical productions. Les Miserables has been seen by over 70 million people worldwide, and West Side Story has been seen by more than 100 million people. These musicals have also been translated into many different languages, and continue to be popular around the world.
Although Bernstein’s musicals Candide and West Side Story did not make him the next Mozart, they have nevertheless widened the genre by introducing serious and tragic tones. (Stemple 398) Lenard Bernstein was a conductor and composer who had previously worked with Jerome Robins on Fancy Free and on the Town.
Robbins initially conceived of a contemporary Romeo and Juliet narrative set in New York City due to growing tensions between Catholic and Jewish communities eight years prior. Bernstein soon became fascinated, particularly about telling a tragic tale with musical comedy nuances.
The play was originally titled East Side Story, but was later changed to West Side Story because of the popularity of the movie West Side Story with Leonard Bernstein’s music. The Broadway show opened on September 26, 1957 and ran for 732 performances.
Les Miserables is a French epic tale written by Victor Hugo and first published in 1862. It follows the life of Jean Valjean, who after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread, is released onto the streets of Paris at the dawn of the July Monarchy. Les Miserables is not just a story about one man’s life, but also about society during that time period. The novel Les Miserables was originally published in French, and has been translated into dozens of languages.
