Maria (West Side Story) after he meets and kisses Maria for the first time. Her name is sung 29 times in total. Natalie Wood was not the first choice to play Maria in the 1961 film version. Audrey Hepburn was considered, but she did not take it due to her pregnancy. Like Wood, Hepburn was not Puerto Rican; she was British, Dutch, and Austrian. Oh Maria, Maria / She remind me of a West Side story. Maria (West Side Story) Maria is the leading female character in the film "West Side Story". Maria is in her late teens when she arrives on the US
Kenton's West Side Story heavily relied upon to carry the day. In no way does the LP accomplish the same things the later Kenton Grammy winning LP "Adventures In Jazz" achieves. It is understandable why the general public (vs a hard core jazz audience) was willing to readily accept "Kenton's West Side Story" propelling it to such high ratings with Billboard during 1961 and 1962. As a jazz soloist on trumpet, Conte Candoli is a shining star on the sessions. He backed his way onto the "Kenton's West Side Story" LP due to the failure of Ernie Berhardt to fill the trumpet solo slots