Riff: A Jet All The Way

Got a rocket In your pocket, 

Keep coolly cool, boy 

Riff: The second leader of the West Side Street Gang known as the Jets. He is the tritagonist villain in the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story, as well as its 1961 film adaptation. The musical is the modernized version of Romeo and Juliet, of which Riff is the equivalent of Mercutio.

Tamblyn

Russ Tamblyn 

Film: 1961 

When I came home from the army, the film part came up. But it wasn't with MGM – it was with United Artists. They wanted me to test for Tony and MGM allowed it. Later, I was told they'd narrowed it down to me and one other. Riff was never mentioned. I was pretty sure I didn't want that role, because my dancing wasn't great. But then my agent called and said: "Well, Richard Beymer got Tony, but you can be Riff." If you watch the film, you'll see I strut a lot because I never had any dance training

Russ Tamblyn

Faist

Mike Faist 

Film: 2021 

'We realize that Tony is actively trying to be different. He’s trying to change. He’s trying to be a better person. And so I keep using the analogy that it’s like coming home to Thanksgiving. The people in your life, love you so much that they want you to stay in that role for themselves. But it is at the end of the day, selfish love and a love that will meet with friction and a wall there. … The whole plot was Riff’s inability to accept and see Tony’s transformation.'

Mike Faist

Calin & Ken Le Roy (Bernardo)

Mickey Calin 

Winter Garden Theatre (Sep 26, 1957 - Feb 28, 1959) 

Broadway Theatre (Mar 02, 1959 - May 10, 1959) 

Hasson & George Marcy (Bernardo)

Thomas Hasson 

Winter Garden Theatre (Apr 27, 1960 - Oct 22, 1960) 

Alvin Theatre (Oct 24, 1960 - Dec 10, 1960) 

Mellon

James J. Mellon 

Minskoff Theatre (Feb 14, 1980 - Nov 30, 1980) 

Green

Cody Green 

Palace Theatre (Mar 19, 2009 - Jan 02, 2011) 

One of my favorite versions of 'The Jet Song' was sung by singer Kurt Ollmann for the 1984 album, West Side Story, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.. 

Greene

John Arthur Greene 

Palace Theatre (Mar 19, 2009 - Jan 02, 2011) 

Cook

Ben Cook 

Broadway Theatre (Feb 20, 2020 - Mar 11, 2020) 

Although the run was short, the 2020 revival was impacted by almost Spiderman-like injuries. Dharon E. Jones had replace Ben Cook in the role of Riff after Cook sustained an injury during the show. This is the second injury in the production, after lead Isaac Powell, (Tony) suffered a knee injury during a performance. Powell returned to the production, but opening night had to be pushed back. Jordan Dobson, who was Powell’s standby, had been playing the role of Tony while Powell was out. Jones, taking over for Cook, previously performed the role of Action in the production. 

Jones & Isaac Cole Poweel (Tony)

Dharon E. Jones 

Broadway Theatre (Feb 20, 2020 - Mar 11, 2020)