There are few musicals that have stood the test of time the way West Side Story has. Transplanting Romeo & Juliet to 1950s New York, it explores various topics that are just as relevant now as they were back then - young love, cultural differences, gang violence, grief - and puts it all to a complicated but hugely memorable score. Throw in some dramatic sets, amazing choreography and great performances, and it's no surprise that when it made the transition from stage to film, it scooped ten Oscars.
Though we may have lost Natalie Wood (Maria), other West Side Story cast members are still working in the movie industry, and three of them recently had their hand and footprints immortalised at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in LA to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of West Side Story the movie.
George Chakiris (Bernardo), Russ Tamblyn (Riff) and Rita Moreno (Anita) spoke about the longevity of the musical, which - as well as being a favourite for high school productions - is still shown in some theatres and on television, and is also a frequent pop culture reference.
In fact, West Side Story homages have turned up everywhere from Scrubs...
To Glee...
...not to mention a Vanity Fair photoshoot by Mark Seliger starring Jennifer Lopez, Camilla Belle, Ben Barnes, Robert Pattinson, Chris Evans and many more.
Not bad for a story originally penned by Shakespeare over 400 years ago!
