Bernstein used his status as a public figure both to popularize classical music and to support civil rights, the antiwar movement, and other political causes.
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You might put Maestro high on your holiday viewing list. And you might enjoy the film as a well-paced, sometimes heart-wrenching portrait of a troubled marriage. But this writer found the film about Leonard Bernstein to be deeply disappointing.
Who defines the Dream, as the Dreamers movement implicitly asserts, matters a great deal. In fact, it defines the nation. Here are 10 songs of immigration and identity: Crash at Los Gatos (Deportee). Ice El Hielo. Jamaica Farewell. Across the Borderline. Follow the Drinking Gourd. No Irish Need Apply. Rumania, Rumania. America (West Side Story). Where Is the Love? Ballad for Americans.
The musical West Side Story is a Romeo and Juliet crossing rival Italian and Puerto Rican gangs in New York City. In the song America, George Chakiris and Rita Moreno debate whether life is better in the adopted country or the native land. The music is by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. For more Songs of Immigration, Deportation and Identity, go here.
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