Romeo and Juliet v. West Side Story:

In my opinion, I do not think that R+J can be compared to WSS at all because of the difference in language.  R+J is a very serious play if you think about it, whereas WSS is your typical cheesy musical.  Yes, of course WSS has it's deep moments with individual characters but after watching it I only remember the life in the sound of the music and the difficulty in choreography.  After watching R+J I think about the sincerity in their words and how carefully they were chosen to develop specific emotions, atmosphere, mood, etc.  I know I am not the only one who feels this way.  Although I love musicals much more than plays, Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest plays I have ever seen and I love it just as much as any musical.  It is rare, but that is what makes it so interesting to pick out the difference between such a wonderfully written play and a fantastic musical.