From “The Book and the Numbers”, The Musical As Drama by Scott McMillin.

In West Side Story (a musical adapted from Romeo and Juliet), the love potion device from
Romeo and Juliet is replaced by one of Arthur Laurents’s best book scenes [ in West-side
Story]. Shakespeare’s plot depends on a prevented message. The messenger is trapped by
plague restrictions and cannot deliver the news to Romeo that Juliet is alive. This is reported
[as in Romeo and Juliet], not dramatized [ as in West-side Story], and the Laurents scene is
better.

The scene in Romeo and Juliet:

FRIAR JOHN
Going to find a bare-foot brother out
One of our order, to associate me,
Here in this city visiting the sick,
And finding him, the searchers of the town,
Suspecting that we both were in a house
Where the infectious pestilence did reign,
Seal'd up the doors, and would not let us forth;
So that my speed to Mantua there was stay'd.

FRIAR LAURENCE
Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo?

FRIAR JOHN
I could not send it,--here it is again,--
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,
So fearful were they of infection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcnbHmSAy9w

The scene in West Side Story:

Anita is taunted by the white gang of Jets for her color and her gender, and the gang prevents
her from reaching Tony with the news she is trying to bring him from Maria. A mambo is
playing on a jukebox. This is picked up by the orchestra, which sets a dance rhythm,
and the Jets turn the dance rhythm into a savage attack on Anita, virtually a gang rape.
“Stop it!” cries Doc, the druggist, and the book resumes with Anita’s angry lie: Chino has
killed Maria, tell that to your white friend Tony. This good book writing could have been
handled without the number, for the Jets are brutal to Anita without dancing about it.

The dancing adds a performance element that shifts the Jets into a different mode of
characterization, however, and in this case the performance mode is startling. These white
boys had seemed sympathetic, even charming, a few minutes earlier, in “Officer Krupke.”
Now they are ready to be rapists. The numbers turn them now one way, now another, and the
most disturbing thing is that they are good performers both ways.

The dance number caries them beyond the racism and misogyny of the book scene and makes
the violence inherent in both racism and misogyny break into what from one viewpoint is a
near rape and from another is brilliant dancing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcxjE4QI3ZA

ANITA [Dead silence. Anita gets up and looks at

I want to stop Chino! I want to help! them.]

ANYBODYS ANITA [trying not to cry]

Bernardo's girl wants ta help? Bernardo was right... If one of you was
bleeding in the street,
ACTION I'd walk by and spit on you.
Even a greaseball's got feelings. [She flicks herself off and makes
her way toward the door.]
ANYBODYS
But she wants to help Tony! ACTION
Don't let her go!
ANITA
No! DIESEL
She'll tell Chino that Tony-
ACTION [Snowboy grabs her; she shakes loose.]
Not much-Bernardo's tramp.
ANITA
SNOWBOY Let go! [Facing them.] I'll give you a
Bernardo's pig! message for your American
buddy! Tell the murderer Maria's never
ANITA going to meet him! Tell
Don't do that! him Chino found out and-and shot her!
[She slams out. There is a stunned silence.]
BABY JOHN
Gold tooth!

DIESEL
Pierced ear!

A-RAB
Garlic mouth!

ACTION
Spic! Lyin' Spic!

[The taunting breaks out into a wild,

savage dance, with
epithets hurled at Anita, who is encircled
and drivers by the
whole pack. At the peak, she is shoved so
that she falls in a
corner. Baby John is lifted up high and
dropped on her as Doc
enters from the cellar door and yells.]

DOC
Stop it!... What've you been doing now?