Leonard Bernstein conducts a studio rehearsal of "Tonight" for a unique 1985 album. In this classic love theme from "West Side Story" Tony and Maria are expressing their great joy upon meeting each other and falling in love. Here is a sample of Stephen Sondheim's lyrics exclaiming just how momentous their union is:
"But here you are and what was just a world is a star...tonight."
The story is a modernized version of Romeo and Juliet in a New York City setting with feuding gangs. Just as in Shakespeare's story, love blossoms and then turns tragic as the young couple are caught in the conflict. This is the kind of story that would make great opera - and that was Bernstein's original intent! So it's fitting that the parts of Tony and Maria are sung by two great opera performers: José Carreras (one of The Three Tenors) and Kiri Te Kanawa (renowned international soprano).
If you like the beautiful operatic voices you hear in this video, you may want to enjoy classic performances from these and other opera stars at our GreatOperaVideos.com site.
(You can find the beloved movie version of this song by clicking the keyword "Tonight" under today's video.)
