Upper West Side Story the next morning. The poem was ultimately included in a scene in which Neal is teaching an English class. Kenny Herzog of "The A.V. Club" pointed out that the episode contained various references to Shakespearian and Victorian-era literature, specifically mentioning "Romeo and Juliet". He stated that these metaphors helped move the plot forward. The initial broadcast of the episode drew 3.472 million viewers, and earned a 1.1 rating in the 18–49 demographic. "Upper West Side Story" ranked seventh place among cable series for the night in the 18–49 demographic and fourth in its timeslot, surpassed by "Teen Mom 2", "Storage
America (West Side Story song) of Bernardo. In the progressive rock band Yes' cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "America", bassist Chris Squire quotes the "West Side Story" song near the conclusion of their instrumental intro. A theme from "America" was referenced by John Williams for his celebratory "For New York", composed in 1988 for Bernstein's 70th birthday gala. In 2011, the song was covered by the cast of musical comedy television series "Glee" in the fifth episode of the third season, "The First Time" (aired on November 8), with character Santana Lopez (portrayed by Naya Rivera) on the lead. A minor controversy was caused over