Maria (West Side Story)

Maria is the leading female character in the film and theatrical version of West Side Story, the award winning adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet.

Maria is in her late teens when she arrives on the US mainland. Her older brother Bernardo is the leader of the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks. He has a girlfriend, Anita, who Maria is friends with and looks up to. Maria is eager to start a new life in New York, but Bernardo is protective and keeps a close eye on her. He intends for Maria to marry his friend Chino, but Maria is uninterested. She meets Tony who used to be part of the Sharks’ enemy gang, the Jets, at a community dance at the gym. They immediately fall in love. The couple meet several times after (on her balcony, at Anita’s shop, and at Doc’s, Tony’s workplace) before deciding to run away together after the rumble. They are about to leave when Chino shoots Tony for killing Bernardo. Whatever happens to Maria after Tony dies is left a mystery.

Maria is based on Shakespeare’s Juliet, who falls in love with Romeo after their first encounter, just like Maria did with Tony.

The best known portrayal of Maria was by Natalie Wood in the 1961 film, although the singing voice was provided by Marni Nixon.

The songs sung by Maria include:

"Tonight, tonight / It all began tonight!"

"I'm loved / By a pretty wonderful boy."

"Now it begins, Now we start / One Hand, One Heart. / Even death won't part us now."

"Peace and quiet and open air"

"I have a love and it's all that I have / Right or wrong, what else can I do?"

In both the film and the play is a song named "Maria", which is sung by Tony in both. He sings this right after he meets and kisses Maria for the first time. Her name is sung 29 times in total.

Natalie Wood was not the first choice to play Maria in the 1961 film version. Audrey Hepburn was considered, but she did not take it due to her pregnancy. Like Wood, Hepburn was not Puerto Rican; she was British, Dutch, and Austrian.

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