Whether a remake of the classic Romeo and Juliet / West Side Story is justified or not remains to be debated, but why has the much-loved Doc been killed off before he even tried to put Tony back on the right path again? I suspect Rita Moreno refused to hand any money over unless she got a part and a song.

“But Rita, there ain’t no part for an old woman in West Side Story!”

“There was when old Shakespeare wrote the story originally! Juliet’s nurse was as old as the hills. And she got to sing a song!”

“Rita, nobody got to sing a song in Romeo and Juliet.”

“Well they should have, and I’m not giving you a dime until I get a song and a part!”

“I suppose we could put you somewhere in the show, I guess Doc’s about the nearest to an old person. We’ll write you in as his wife. Hold on a cotton-picking minute. Doc was not a Latino. We can’t have him married to you.”

“Why not? Doc was the original Jet who married the Shark’s girl – Valentina. This caused a war and Doc got killed off. Seems obvious to me. And yes, I’ll sing Somewhere.”

“OK, Rita. That sounds doable. And a couple of years down the line, we could do a prequal, with the Doc and Valentina Story”

“Stephen’s Estate will never go for it though.”

“Stephen who?”

“OK, start writing”