The acclaimed musical West Side Story is getting another cinematic adaptation thanks to Steven Spielberg, and in preparation for it, here’s where you can watch the 1961 version online. Musicals continue to be very popular with the audience, so it’s not surprising that more and more stage musicals are being adapted to the big screen – and when throwing the remake and reboot trends into the mix, it’s also not shocking that some well-known musicals are getting new adaptations, as is the case of West Side Story.
West Side Story was conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and is inspired by William Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet, but set in the mid-1950s and exploring the rivalry between two teenage street gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – when Tony, a former Jet, falls in love with Maria, the sister of the Sharks’ leader. West Side Story began its Broadway run in 1957 and has been revived every decade since the 1960s. The musical has been praised for its innovations in dance, music, and theatrical style, as well as for its story and the social problems addressed in it, so it’s not a surprise that it was adapted to the big screen not long after.
Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, West Side Story was released in 1961 and starred Natalie Wood as Maria (with Marni Nixon providing the singing voice for the character) and Richard Beymer as Tony (Jimmy Bryant as Tony’s singing voice). The 1961 version of West Side Story was a critical and commercial success and is regarded as one of the greatest musical movies of all time, and with a new version arriving on December 10 thanks to Steven Spielberg, it’s a great time to revisit it – and here’s where you can watch it online.
West Side Story 1961 Isn’t On Netflix, Prime, Or HBO Max
Although the biggest streaming platforms – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max – have a selection of classic movies, they are mostly focused on more modern titles, though it’s still surprising that West Side Story 1961 isn’t available to stream on any of them. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to watch it, as there’s one platform that has it (although temporarily) and there are also options to rent and buy it.
Where To Stream Or Rent West Side Story 1961 Online
West Side Story 1961 is only available to stream on Curia, a somewhat new player in the game of streaming. Curia’s programming rotates every month, and through December, subscribers will get to enjoy the 1961 version of West Side Story (and like many other platforms, it offers a 30-day free trial). Another option to watch this version online is through rent or buy, so those who don’t want to subscribe to yet another streaming platform can buy West Side Story 1961 on Amazon, Microsoft, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, and AMC on Demand, and it’s available to rent in all those plus Spectrum on Demand.
Is West Side Story 2021 Available To Watch Online?
Like many other movies during the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 adaptation of West Side Story had to be delayed a couple of times. The release date of West Side Story now coincides with the 60th anniversary of the 1962 version (December 10), and it will have a 45-day theatrical run – after that, it’s unknown how long it will take for Disney to release it on streaming, but it might not be long.
