Menagerie
Answers





A)   Tiger
Tiger is the name of one of the Jets. The role was created on Broadway by Lowell Harris and played in the film by David Bean.




B)   Toro
Toro, the Spanish word for "Bull," is the name of one of the Sharks. The role was created on Broadway by Erne Castaldo and played in the film by Nick Covacevich.




C)   Moose
Moose is the name of another one of the Sharks. The role was created on Broadway by Jack Murray but was not featured in the film.




D)   Dog
In the War Council scene, Bernardo remarks that "Every dog knows his own."




E)   Chicken
Chicken is mentioned several times, as a lyric in "Jet Song" ["….every Puerto Rican’s a lousy….."] and the War Council scene ["Who you calling chicken?"]. It is also one of the names hurled back and forth during the Rumble sequence, which contains the taunt: "Mother hen protecting the little one?" [This last reference is "Film only"]




F)   Gallito
To further taunt Tony in the Rumble sequence, Bernardo calls him a gallito, meaning "baby chick" in Spanish, economically derogating both bravery and maturity. [Film only]




G)   Parrot
In the bridal shop, one of the girls becomes impatient with Maria’s airy and evasive prattle, noting "She talks like a parrot."[Film only]




H)   Jay
The prodigiously talented Jay Norman was a member of the original Broadway cast before playing Pepe in the film. Mr. Norman has played the role of Bernardo in productions the world round, and has directed and choreographed the piece as well.




I)   Kid
"Kid" is the word for the young of many animals, including goats, and is also a slang term for a human child, mentioned in "Jet Song" as "gold-medal kid." In the play, Riff sums up the unexpected events at the dance with an erroneous assumption that Tony will stand with the gang after being aggressively warned away from Maria: "I guess the kid’s with us for sure now."  [This last reference is "Play Only"]




J)   Fish
  • After the War Council, Bernardo, mistakenly thinking he is going to fight Tony in the rumble, promises his opponent he will be "like a fish after skinning."


  • After the rumble, Ice wants the Jets to make themselves highly visible lest the cops "smell fish." [Film Only]




K)   Shark
This is a picture of a shark. Whoever did not recognize a West Side Story reference should log off and get some fresh air.




L)   Fleas
During "I Feel Pretty," one suggested cause of Maria’s new daffiness is that she is literally buggy: "...Or maybe it’s fleas."




M)   Lice
Anita and company tease Bernardo for delivering his lament once too often; his complaint about his ill-treatment includes the pejorative "lice"...




N)   Cockroach
...and "cockroaches."




O)   Worm
The friendship between Riff and Tony appears to be habitually confirmed by a quick, heartfelt exchange: "Womb to tomb," and "Sperm to worm."  [Play Only]




P)   Lizard
The phrase "Leaping lizards," a very well-known expression in its day and attributed to Harold Gray for his "Little Orphan Annie" cartoon feature, is also a lyric in "Gee, Officer Krupke."




Q)  Bat
The Jets assure the audience early in the evening that they are coming without hesitation, shyness or lack of purpose: Like a bat out of hell.




R)  Hawk
When reminiscing about the Jets' history, Riff recalls a skirmish with a gang called the Hawks.  [Film Only]




S)  Pig
  • In the dialogue that precedes "America," Consuelo playfully calls her boyfriend Pepe a pig. [One source indicates that Consuelo's thrust is repeated in the film; another source suggests that the cinema Consuelo uses a stronger but similar-sounding word to chide Pepe, thus making this reference "Play Only"]


  • One of the cruel epithets flung at Anita during the Taunting scene is "Bernardo’s pig."




T)  Cat
The lyrics to "Jet Song" include the phrase "You’re the top cat in town."




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