If you could possibly email the whole english version to me, I would be forever in your debt. The thing is, I bought the non-Barnes and Noble version years ago before i knew that the english versions were available there. It would be amazing!
I actually adore the Spanish version. It's so much more intense and in the story it becomes so much more powerful. But this music is legendary. There's nothing wrong with the English version either.
Although I do not speak Spanish, I would understand what is happening in this number if it was only in Spanish. However, I have listened to the Broadway cast album over and over and I have seen the play and movie. Someone who speaks only English and is not familiar with the show might have a problem. thereisnophantom, who posted six months ago, said he saw the version with this and other songs in Spanish and he did not understand what was going on half the time.
wait.... they changed it so now this is sung instead of the spanish one!!!???? It was soo much better and it was something different than the original!!!
I am very glad that this is not in Spanish. Sure, it might make more sense if it were in Spanish, but as someone who's not born in the USA and knows not a single Spanish word, I can only enjoy this song in English.
There are many fans of West Side Story outside the USA...
@krosUrgewalt I agree, though I personally like it in spanish better. But you make it seem as though a lot of people in the USA speak Spanish as well. The USA is really behind the rest of the world in bilingualism, or speaking other languages in general. So MANY people were grateful for the change :-/. I would have liked 2 days of the week where they performed it in Spanish
As a fan, I like the Spanish version, and I think it works for the reasons already mentioned, i.e the emotion. However, I think the English is better, solely for the people who don't know the show. It'd be far too confusing for first-time viewers of the show and casual Broadway-goers.
I think that the spanish verison is more emotionally packed because it has a certain rawness to it. the fact that they are original hispanic and that there is so much emotional baggage that it has drawn them back to there basic element of speaking spanish
Are you really making a logic-based argument about West Side Story? Do you have a problem with the fact that they're having this argument through song?
I'm non-Hispanic, and i think that the Spanish version is more emotional. It's like hearing your friends mom yell at her in a different language. If a person is really mad, they'll speak their first language, right? The Spanish version is more logical.
I think that regardless of how beautiful the Spanish version is, it just NEVER had the correct emotional impact for a non-Hispanic audience. This is arguably one of the most powerful duets in musical theatre history, and putting it in Spanish robbed people of one of the most intense moments of the entire show.
@whitetiefilms maybe for the non-hispanic audiences, the spanish version is not as strong as this one, but they (Anita and Maria) are supposed to be puertorricanas, and for a person that speaks spanish (me) the words are amazingly strong and they really accomplish the goal of the song, in spanish the song is absolutely amazing. (And, btw, Karen Olivo has a great spanish, Josefina Scaglione is from Argentina, so she doesn't count).
@jacknewsie1 I agree with you completely! I can understand the significance of having them sing in Spanish. But for it to be playing in New York City on BROADWAY is confusing, and it is why they changed THIS song back to English, or to a mixture of the two as I hear it is now.
i'd never seen the movie and was visiting nyc over the winter, and wanted to see a classic. i chose "west side story". i didn't know what was going on 50% of the time.
the music was amazing. the actors were absolutely amazing and breathtaking...
@jacknewsie1 Sorry I'm late but what do you mean she doesn't "count"? People in Argentina speak Spanish, my cousins are half Argentinian and yeah they whole family speaks Spanish.
@WendIaBergman hahaha i know that, I only meant that she didn't have to work on a spanish accent, she already speaks spanish, but Karen Olivo is American, so she had to work on that accent, that's all.
@jacknewsie1 Karen I would believe makes no apologies with a clean voice with out steryotyping an accent. She won a well deserved accent with out cliches or any silliness she brought humanity to the role.
Do you have the full track w/ I Love Him not cut off? I really want to hear the whole track w/o having to buy the entire itunes soundtrack (i already bought a physical copy :\)
its half and half now, which i thought was very effective. you still get the fire behind the spanish lyrics, but you're not completely lost if you're not familiar with WSS.
I saw west side story in the summer and a boy like that was in spanish. i speak little spanish so i didnt fully understand what karen was saying but you can feel the rage behind it and you just get it. you can understand this song on an emotional level not just through words
And when you're considering Sondheim wrote the original lyrics, that's saying a lot... although Sondheim has praised the Spanish version as closer to what he wanted to achieve...
I saw this performed on Broadway last summer and although it seemed much more emotional when it was sung in Spanish, some people were getting slightly lost. This song is amazing though. Especially seeing Karen Olivo perform it :)
I like the current version where the English and Spanish version is mixed together - most stanzas in English and some in Spanish. I prefer the Spanish version, because I felt as though it was more emotional. Either way it's powerful.
It was a pivotal part of the show and while they audience was getting the gist, a lot of the power of the song was getting lost and it was too important of a song for that to happen.
The Spanish version is better!
stylemusingz 4 weeks ago
I love the Spanish version! But they're both great.
sophiamarie18 1 month ago
I prefer the english lyrics of the songs. The español was an interesting idea, but it just didn't translate well.
ThurstonSmexyOakley 2 months ago
For the life of me I cannot find their version of "I have a love" anywhere.
ionadelfina 2 months ago
So...anyone else like the Julie Andrews & Carol Burnett version?
Wagnerlover777 2 months ago 4
Can someone help me? I have no idea where to buy this T____T I already have it in Spanish (which I LOVE) but I want it in English toooo T_T help?
Kiyone 3 months ago in playlist More videos from mmmy15
Chills. Every time.
rosesprinkle 3 months ago
If you could possibly email the whole english version to me, I would be forever in your debt. The thing is, I bought the non-Barnes and Noble version years ago before i knew that the english versions were available there. It would be amazing!
daveedo10 3 months ago
Theses lyrics are timeless and classic. They are West Side Story.
daveedo10 3 months ago
I actually adore the Spanish version. It's so much more intense and in the story it becomes so much more powerful. But this music is legendary. There's nothing wrong with the English version either.
FireGirlG 5 months ago 4
I wish I could actually watch this performed!!!! :(
SwedishChef13 10 months ago
Karen is amazing! I don't really like Josefina as Maria though...
ncislover1111 10 months ago 6
Although I do not speak Spanish, I would understand what is happening in this number if it was only in Spanish. However, I have listened to the Broadway cast album over and over and I have seen the play and movie. Someone who speaks only English and is not familiar with the show might have a problem. thereisnophantom, who posted six months ago, said he saw the version with this and other songs in Spanish and he did not understand what was going on half the time.
ChicagoSouthDan 11 months ago
wait.... they changed it so now this is sung instead of the spanish one!!!???? It was soo much better and it was something different than the original!!!
crazycrazycar1234 1 year ago
I am very glad that this is not in Spanish. Sure, it might make more sense if it were in Spanish, but as someone who's not born in the USA and knows not a single Spanish word, I can only enjoy this song in English.
There are many fans of West Side Story outside the USA...
krosUrgewalt 1 year ago
@krosUrgewalt I agree, though I personally like it in spanish better. But you make it seem as though a lot of people in the USA speak Spanish as well. The USA is really behind the rest of the world in bilingualism, or speaking other languages in general. So MANY people were grateful for the change :-/. I would have liked 2 days of the week where they performed it in Spanish
LeBronP 10 months ago
i like the spanish even though i dont understand it :P
CrazyViper2783 1 year ago
As a fan, I like the Spanish version, and I think it works for the reasons already mentioned, i.e the emotion. However, I think the English is better, solely for the people who don't know the show. It'd be far too confusing for first-time viewers of the show and casual Broadway-goers.
christinedaae101 1 year ago
I think that the spanish verison is more emotionally packed because it has a certain rawness to it. the fact that they are original hispanic and that there is so much emotional baggage that it has drawn them back to there basic element of speaking spanish
LoverSilent14 1 year ago 4
@astrostockbroker
Are you really making a logic-based argument about West Side Story? Do you have a problem with the fact that they're having this argument through song?
xgeek 1 year ago
I'm non-Hispanic, and i think that the Spanish version is more emotional. It's like hearing your friends mom yell at her in a different language. If a person is really mad, they'll speak their first language, right? The Spanish version is more logical.
astrostockbroker 1 year ago
The first time I heard this, I cried. A lot. <3
westsidestory97 1 year ago
josefina and karen sound amazing in any language!!!!!!!!!!
tbeardog1 1 year ago
i like it better in englsh, karen does it great in both lnguages!
tbeardog1 1 year ago
I think that regardless of how beautiful the Spanish version is, it just NEVER had the correct emotional impact for a non-Hispanic audience. This is arguably one of the most powerful duets in musical theatre history, and putting it in Spanish robbed people of one of the most intense moments of the entire show.
whitetiefilms 1 year ago
@whitetiefilms maybe for the non-hispanic audiences, the spanish version is not as strong as this one, but they (Anita and Maria) are supposed to be puertorricanas, and for a person that speaks spanish (me) the words are amazingly strong and they really accomplish the goal of the song, in spanish the song is absolutely amazing. (And, btw, Karen Olivo has a great spanish, Josefina Scaglione is from Argentina, so she doesn't count).
jacknewsie1 1 year ago
@jacknewsie1 I agree with you completely! I can understand the significance of having them sing in Spanish. But for it to be playing in New York City on BROADWAY is confusing, and it is why they changed THIS song back to English, or to a mixture of the two as I hear it is now.
whitetiefilms 1 year ago
@whitetiefilms
i'd never seen the movie and was visiting nyc over the winter, and wanted to see a classic. i chose "west side story". i didn't know what was going on 50% of the time.
the music was amazing. the actors were absolutely amazing and breathtaking...
i just wish it was in english.
thereisnophantom 1 year ago
@jacknewsie1 Sorry I'm late but what do you mean she doesn't "count"? People in Argentina speak Spanish, my cousins are half Argentinian and yeah they whole family speaks Spanish.
WendIaBergman 1 year ago
@WendIaBergman hahaha i know that, I only meant that she didn't have to work on a spanish accent, she already speaks spanish, but Karen Olivo is American, so she had to work on that accent, that's all.
jacknewsie1 1 year ago
@jacknewsie1 Ah ok lol yeah I get what you mean. I speak Spanish too but trying to do a "Spanish" accent when speaking English is not easy.
WendIaBergman 1 year ago
@jacknewsie1 Karen I would believe makes no apologies with a clean voice with out steryotyping an accent. She won a well deserved accent with out cliches or any silliness she brought humanity to the role.
AdamEfimoff 5 months ago
I kinda wish they'd make a version with Anita (Karen) singing in spanish and Maria (Josefina) singing in english...
bluechocolatesky 1 year ago 3
Do you have the full track w/ I Love Him not cut off? I really want to hear the whole track w/o having to buy the entire itunes soundtrack (i already bought a physical copy :\)
jkingjess 1 year ago
josefina has NO emotion in her voice!!
shes to busy struggling to get the next note out!
SamSkii14 1 year ago 2
Lovee this version.
biglittlekid 1 year ago
its half and half now, which i thought was very effective. you still get the fire behind the spanish lyrics, but you're not completely lost if you're not familiar with WSS.
thoughtsmeander 1 year ago
I like it better in spanish but it's still a GREAT song
xoxomeredith 1 year ago
Karen Olivo is hella fierce. I wish I went to the school i go to now when she visited
tatyrules12 2 years ago 42
I like it in English better.... call me small minded but I do.
Selendomono 2 years ago 29
@Selendomono same, i might only like it because it's what i'm used to listening to
kittykat002 1 year ago
I saw west side story in the summer and a boy like that was in spanish. i speak little spanish so i didnt fully understand what karen was saying but you can feel the rage behind it and you just get it. you can understand this song on an emotional level not just through words
92musicallover 2 years ago
This just is not as good as the spanish, I can't believe they changed it!
Ponyboyluvr0228 2 years ago 2
@Ponyboyluvr0228
And when you're considering Sondheim wrote the original lyrics, that's saying a lot... although Sondheim has praised the Spanish version as closer to what he wanted to achieve...
Liked the Spanish version better too.
Trsh3r 2 years ago
I saw this performed on Broadway last summer and although it seemed much more emotional when it was sung in Spanish, some people were getting slightly lost. This song is amazing though. Especially seeing Karen Olivo perform it :)
Kadalynn6 2 years ago
I like the current version where the English and Spanish version is mixed together - most stanzas in English and some in Spanish. I prefer the Spanish version, because I felt as though it was more emotional. Either way it's powerful.
DavidEmage 2 years ago
Why did they change it?????????????? :-/
krazykat2006 2 years ago
It was a pivotal part of the show and while they audience was getting the gist, a lot of the power of the song was getting lost and it was too important of a song for that to happen.
I liked the Spanish as well though.
Improvnewsie35 2 years ago
I see!!
krazykat2006 2 years ago
amazing
crazyawesomekenzie 2 years ago