I Feel Pretty is a show tune from West Side Story, a 1957 Broadway musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The song is sung by Maria in the bridal shop scene, celebrating how loved she feels after meeting her wonderful boy, Tony. It was first performed live on August 19, 1957 and first recorded and released in 1957 by Carol Lawrence and Girls, appearing on the original West Side Story cast album. The 1961 film version moved the scene to daytime and altered the lyric, changing “I feel pretty and witty and gay” to fit the moment, and the lyrics were restored to the original form for the 2021 film. The song is a bright, Latin-flavored number that remains a staple of musical theatre, and it has been covered by many artists and kept in the show’s storyline despite occasional cuts in revivals.
