BROADWAY
REVIVAL
1980
In 1957 West Side Story was a rare exception to the general rule regarding the use of stars' faces to advertise the play. Since actors eventually leave shows, the practice of mounting a long-term ad campaign on a conceivably short-term personality was ill-advised. Producers usually opted for a less specific design, pertinent to the piece but not relevant to the particular actors appearing in the show at any given time.
Exceptions like West Side Story were not unheard of, one notable one being the image of Kiss of the Spider Woman’s Chita Rivera some thirty-six years later.
Other examples include Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing and Gwen Verdon in Sweet Charity.
It is fair to note that in these three cases the decision to use these images had everything to do with the enormous drawing power of the superstars in question. This was certainly not the case in West Side Story where a photograph of two unknown performers served as the emblem.
But as was more often the case, other successful musicals of the era told their stories with imagery other than the faces of their stars.
Some logos have become so closely identified with their product that they can stand alone in advertising media, even to the exclusion of the title, and still serve as a familiar and usually engaging promo for the show.
Thus did the 1980 Broadway revival of West Side Story take the more generic route by displaying this drawing, working the focus away from the lovers back toward the gang members and their girlfriends.
The souvenir program of this production carries through with the same idea, highlighted in tones of pale yellow, orange and gold.
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