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Wonderful Town was written by Leonard Bernstein (music), Betty Comden and Adolph Green (lyrics), and Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov (book). It was originally directed by George Abbott, choreographed by Donald Saddler and produced by Robert Fryer. It debuted on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on February 25, 1953 and ran for 559 performances, closing in July 3, 1954. It was broadcast live as a television special on CBS in 1958, starring Rosalind Russell and revived on Broadway in 2003 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, starring Donna Murphy, and later Brooke Shields.
The story is a reworking of ...Read More
Wonderful Town was written by Leonard Bernstein (music), Betty Comden and Adolph Green (lyrics), and Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov (book). It was originally directed by George Abbott, choreographed by Donald Saddler and produced by Robert Fryer. It debuted on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on February 25, 1953 and ran for 559 performances, closing in July 3, 1954. It was broadcast live as a television special on CBS in 1958, starring Rosalind Russell and revived on Broadway in 2003 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, starring Donna Murphy, and later Brooke Shields.
The story is a reworking of the play My Sister Eileen, following the story of two sisters from Ohio who move to New York City in search of love and fortune. The main characters are Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, two sisters from Columbus, Ohio trying to make their way in the big city. The play is based on a collection of short stories by Ruth McKenney, also entitled My Sister Eileen, in which Ruth recounts memories of growing up with her sister. The collection was published as an orange hardcover book in 1938, three years after the events depicted in the musical. Only the final two stories in the book have anything to do with the plot of Wonderful Town, and they are heavily modified for the musical. In the original story, the sisters' landlord is named Mr. Spitzer, while his name is Mr. Appopolous in the musical version.
My Sister Eileen has been filmed twice, in 1942 with Rosalind Russell and Janet Blair playing the sisters, and again in 1955 with Betty Garrett and Janet Leigh.
In 1953, the original production was nominated for six Tony Awards and won in all six categories (Best Musical, Rosalind Russell for Best Actress, Best Scenic Design, Best Choreographer, Best Conductor and Musical Director, and the Theatre World Award). The 2003 revival was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning one for Best Choreography (Kathleen Marshall). Despite the critical acclaim it has received, Wonderful Town remains relatively obscure in all but the most knowledgable musical theatre circles. It has gained some popularity from the recent revival, but given its difficult musical score and highly sophisticated script, it is only ever attempted by the most capable community theater groups, much less a high school. However, high schools are using this show as a type 'one-uppance' to their competition, owing to its intricacy.
A much lighter piece than Leonard Bernstein's later works, West Side Story and Candide, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's lyrics are paired with Bernstein's music to produce some of the most popular songs of the 1950s.
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