Which Broadway musical features the song “America,” performed by the Sharks and Jets?

West Side Story features the song “America,” performed by members of the Sharks and Jets.

The musical is a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It places the rival groups in New York City, where the Jets are white and the Sharks are Puerto Rican. “America” presents contrasting views of life in the United States, especially through the perspectives of Puerto Rican characters.

Leonard Bernstein wrote the music, Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics, Arthur Laurents wrote the book, and Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed the original production. West Side Story opened on Broadway in 1957.

The song is sometimes mistakenly associated only with the Sharks because Anita leads the number in many productions. Its lyrics, however, stage an argument between Puerto Rican women praising American opportunities and men criticizing discrimination and hardship. The 1961 film adaptation retained the song, while the 2021 film was directed by Steven Spielberg.