FINALE

The final goodbye Broadway Original Cast 1957 Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert with Jaime Sanchez, far left, as Chino, and George Marcy, far right, as Pepe.

The Finale of West Side Story is an amalgam of now-familiar themes, principally "Somewhere" and a strain from "I Have a Love." The music that underscored a solemn procession of hope in the Dream Ballet now, without the slightest change of tempo or orchestration, is the death knell of loss and despair. The "full-circle" swing that evokes the joyous Ballet at this tragic juncture is the final and perhaps the most impressive display of artistry in the piece. The work ends without irony, reconciliation or any reason to hope for a better future. The accompanying music ends accordingly—sad, formal and somber, literally low-key. A unique ending for a unique work of art.

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