West Side Story: Rita Moreno nearly quit original film over lyrics calling Puerto Rico an ‘ugly island’

Original lyrics to ‘America’ were changed by Stephen Sondheim

Rita Moreno has admitted that she almost quit the original West Side Story film after being asked to sing offensive lyrics about Puerto Rico.

The 89-year-old starred in the 1961 film as Anita, for which she won an Academy Award, and now has a role in Steven Spielberg’s film version.

Appearing on ABC News special Something’s Coming: West Side Story, Moreno admitted that she originally butted up against the original lyrics to “America”, in which she and Bernardo (George Chakiris) argue about whether the US or her native Puerto Rico is better.

“One day before we actually started rehearsals, I looked at the score and there it is… ‘Puerto Rico, you ugly island. Island of tropic diseases,’” Moreno recalled.

“It felt awful. It felt horrible. And I thought, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t do this to my people.’ I got this close to not doing it.”

The lyrics to the song were changed by Stephen Sondheim during rehearsals, with Moreno greatly relieved to read the new opening lines. “Within days, I got [a] new script. And when I looked at ‘America’, it went, ‘My heart’s devotion, let it sink back in the ocean.’ And I was saved.”

In another recent interview, Moreno opened up about dating Elvis Presley, admitting that she did it to make Marlon Brando jealous.

West Side Story comes to UK cinemas on Friday 10 December.