West Side Story is a musical by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim that retells Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in modern-day New York City. The story is about two rival New York City gangs, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks, whose hatred escalates until they can no longer coexist. However, when Tony, Riff's best friend, and Maria, Bernardo's younger sister, meet at a dance, their love story begins. The couple plans to run away in secret, but the Sharks and Jets schedule a rumble under the highway to determine which gang will control the streets.