4. West Side Story – In America
There’s a Place for Us is undeniably moving, coming as it does amidst the realisation of the cost of the relatively petty squabbles of the Jets and Sharks, but for uplifting energy and rousing enthusiasm, In America gets the vote. For the uninitiated, In America comes from a sequence in West Side Story when the Puerto Ricans are arguing the respective appeal of America and their homeland. The women love America, the men love home and so the dance begins.
The lyrics are sublime, “everything free in America”,”for a small fee in America”, “life is alright in America”, “if you’re all white in America” but it’s the energy of the dancing and the athleticism of the Sharks that really elevates this rooftop barnstormer. Alongside the love story that is at the core of the film, there is a relentless energy and vivacity to it that holds your attention and excites you from the off. Decades on, West Side Story remains one of the finest American musicals, which is some achievement.
