West Side Story CHARACTER BREAKDOWN MALES: Jets: - Tony: (tenor to Bb) Handsome, Polish, older teen-ager, who has outgrown the Jets, looking for something new in his life - Riff: (Tenor to F) Glowing, driving, intelligent, slightly wacky leader of the Jets, Tony’s best friend - Diesel: (Baritone E4 - F5) Lieutenant to Riff, big, slow, steady - Baby John: (Baritone F4 - F5 with strong falsetto) Youngest member of the Jets, awed at everything, even being a Jet; tries to act like a big man, but is vulnerable; - Arab (Baritone F4 - F5) Takes nothing seriously, unaware, can be explosive - Action: (Baritone C4 - F5) Most aggressive member of the Jets, a cat-like ball of fury - Snowboy: (Baritone) Bespectacled, self-styled expert Sharks: - Bernardo: (Baritone) Maria’s Brother. Anita’s Boyfriend. Handsome, proud, fluid leader of the Sharks, with a sardonic chip on his shoulder. - Chino: (any voice type ) Shy, gentle, sweet-faced young boy, the intended husband of Maria; - Pepe: (Baritone) Lieutenant to Bernardo, typically proud, and resentful of discrimination - Indio: (Baritone) Proud, and resentful of discrimination - Luis: (Baritone) Proud, and resentful of discrimination The Adults: - Doc: Middle-aged male drug store owner, tired and worn out. - Lieutenant Schrank: Male Plainclothes policeman used to being in charge, superficially pleasant to cover his venom, fear, and bigotry. - Officer Krupke: Male: A not-too-bright street cop. - Glad Hand: Male or Female Nerdy, overly cheerful and ill-equipped social director at the local gym dance.
FEMALES: Jets: - Anybody’s: (Any voice type) Scrawny teen-aged girl, pathetically dressed to imitate the Jets, and wants desperately to be taken seriously by them; various ranges. - Velma: (any voice type) Riff’s girlfriend, young, slithery, sexy, lost in a world of jive; various ranges. Must be strong dancer. - Graziella: (any voice type) Girlfriend of Diesel, impressed with herself; various ranges. Must be strong dancer. - Clarice - Pauline - Minnie - Jet Girls: Various Vocal Ranges. Sharks: - Maria: (Soprano, Bb3 – C6) Lovely, young and obedient, excited and enthusiastic about her new life in America, but with stubborn inner strength that allows her to evolve into a strong woman, Bernardo’s sister - Anita: (Alto/Mezzo, F below C to D5) Wiser in the ways of the world, flashy, sharp-tongued, Bernardo’s girlfriend and Maria’s confidant. Must be strong dancer. All Other Girls - Consuelo: (Mezzo C4 - F5) -Tough, young Puerto Rican girl with bleached blond hair and lots of baubles, sings “I Feel Pretty” - Rosalia: (Mezzo A3 to D5) - Young Puerto Rican girl, more demure, not too bright, sings “America” solo and “I Feel Pretty” - Francisca: (Alto) Young Puerto Rican girl, Maria’s friend, sings in “Feel Pretty” - Estella - Margarita
