Wonderful Town is a 1953 musical with book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical tells the story of two sisters who aspire to be a writer and actress respectively, seeking success from their basement apartment in New York City's Greenwich Village. It is based on Fields and Chodorov's 1940 play My Sister Eileen, which in turn originated from autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney first published in The New Yorker in the late 1930s and later published in book form as My Sister Eileen. Only the last two stories in McKenney's book were used, and they were heavily modified.
After a pre-Broadway try-out at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia, Wonderful Town premiered on Broadway in 1953, starring Rosalind Russell in the role of Ruth Sherwood, Edie Adams as Eileen Sherwood, and George Gaynes as Robert Baker. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actress, and spawned three New York City Center productions between 1958 and 1966, the 1955 and 1986 West End production and 2003 Broadway revival. It is a lighter piece than Bernstein's later works, West Side Story and Candide, but none of the songs have become as popular.
Synopsis
Act I During the summer of 1935 in Greenwich Village, New York, a tour guide leads a group of sightseers on a tour of "Christopher Street" and its colorful residents.
When the tourists have departed, the witty Ruth Sherwood arrives in Greenwich Village with Eileen, her younger sister. The two have just arrived from Columbus, Ohio, determined to forge a life in New York City as a writer (Ruth) and an actress (Eileen). Soon they are living in a basement apartment, recently vacated by Violet. Their landlord is Mr. Appopoulos. Their apartment building is shaken frequently by dynamite from the construction of a subway underneath them and they are disturbed by Violet's returning customers. The sisters are soon stricken with homesickness for "Ohio".
The next morning, Ruth and Eileen set out to try their hand at "Conquering New York", only to find defeat and humiliation. Eileen, at least, has gotten food from a food samples man, as well as Mr. Valenti, but has also met Frank Lippencott, a local Walgreens manager who has developed a crush on her. Ruth, however, is left to wonder at her sister's magnetic appeal and her own unique romantic abilities — a talent for repelling men that is so successful that she could write a book entitled "One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man."
Eventually, Ruth talks her way into the offices of a short story magazine, where she meets Bob Baker. Bob likes Ruth, but advises her that she has little chance of success, and tells her flat out what a waste of money and time it was to come to New York City, because he along with many others have done the same thing ("What a Waste"). Undaunted, Ruth leaves three stories with Bob in the hope that he will read them.
Meanwhile, Eileen has been eating all of her lunches free at Walgreens, and finds herself infatuated with Frank ("A Little Bit in Love"), and invites him over to dinner so Ruth can have free lunches when she goes to Walgreens, too. Bob arrives at the apartment, looking for Ruth, and Eileen invites him over for dinner as well. The phone rings, and it is Chick Clark, a newspaper editor, whom Eileen met in an elevator, wanting to see Eileen.
The upstairs neighbors, Wreck, an out-of-season American football player ("Pass the Football"), and his live-in lover, Helen, ask the girls to hide Wreck while Helen's mother, Mrs. Ella Wade is in town, because Mrs. Wade does not yet know about Wreck. Eileen happily agrees to stow him in their apartment, much to Ruth's hesitation. Wreck describes his lucky history as a student at Trenton Tech, who got by very well only because of his ability with football.
Eileen has invited Frank Lippencott, Bob Baker, and Chick Clark, a slimy newspaper scribe whom she has met with the object of furthering Ruth's career, over for potluck supper. Unaware of each other's feelings, both women find themselves attracted to Bob. Soon, all five of them are seated around the cramped apartment trying to fill the awkward silence ("Conversation Piece"). Meanwhile, Helen deals with her overbearing and exaggerated mother.
Ruth and Bob talk over the quality of her stories, and he advises her to write about what she knows rather than flights of fancy. Both say several wrong things, and he finally tells her off. He soon regrets it as Ruth rushes inside in tears ("A Quiet Girl").
While all this is happening, anxious to be alone with Eileen, Chick Clark creates a bogus assignment for Ruth. He sends her off to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to interview a group of Brazilian navy cadets. She quickly realizes that their sole interest is to learn and dance the "Conga!". The sailors follow Ruth home, where the girls soon find themselves in chaotic confusion, as all the citizens of Christopher Street join the conga line in a finale. Ruth runs into Bob and gives him a piece of her mind, while Eileen is hauled off to jail for causing the riot.
Act II In the local jail Eileen finds herself practically running the place, with Officer Lonigan and his brigade of doting Irish police officers at her beck and call. Given her name, they are convinced that she is Irish. They serenade her and are not at all discouraged when she says she is not Irish ("My Darlin' Eileen"). Ruth comes to assure Eileen that she will bail her out as soon as she collects the money from her new job as a promoter for the Village Vortex, a local nightclub. At the club, Ruth digs the rhythm of swing ("Wonderful Town Swing").
Meanwhile, Wreck is awkwardly masquerading as a wealthy art collector to meet the approval of Helen's mother, and Chick is frantically calling Eileen, trying to make things right.
Thanks to Bob, Eileen is soon released from jail, and the sisters learn that Mr. Appopoulos has been so scandalized by a missing picture that he painted (that was actually stolen and sold for $2 by Helen and Wreck for Wreck to stay at the Y) as well as Eileen's arrest that he has threatened to evict them. Eileen discovers that Ruth is also attracted to Bob Baker, and the two of them wish, for a moment, that they had never left home ("Ohio" (reprise)). Eileen is then confronted by the rhythmical Speedy Valenti, owner of the Village Vortex (the night club), who arranges for her New York City debut as a singer because her fame has reached the front page of the news. Mr. Appopoulos immediately changes his tune now that one of his tenants has a paying job, and extends their lease.
Eileen soon learns that Bob Baker has quit his job as a result of a disagreement with his boss about Ruth's story on the Brazilian sailors. Eileen is thrilled that Bob quit his job and assures the unbelieving Bob that it's love that he feels for Ruth. Bob, faced with the facts, hesitantly realizes the truth that it is love ("It's Love").
The mood at the Vortex turns jazzy ("Ballet At the Village Vortex"). Eileen finds herself with a case of stage fright and she convinces Ruth to join her on stage to sing. Chick arrives to make amends and presents Ruth with a press pass: His boss has read her story about the Brazilian sailors and loved it, and given Ruth a job to take on the following Monday. The Vortex is alive with singing and dancing ("Wrong Note Rag"), and Bob decides it is the perfect moment to let Ruth know how he feels. The curtain closes as Eileen and the guests at the club sing "It's Love" along with everyone in a finale in celebration of Ruth and Bob's newfound affection.
Musical numbers
Act I Overture — Orchestra Christopher Street — Tour Guide and Villagers Ohio — Ruth Sherwood and Eileen Sherwood Conquering New York — Ruth, Eileen, First Cadet, Violet and Villagers* One Hundred Easy Ways — Ruth What a Waste — Bob Baker and Associate Editors A Little Bit in Love — Eileen Pass the Football — Wreck and Villagers Conversation Piece — Ruth, Eileen, Frank Lippencott, Bob and Chick Clark* A Quiet Girl — Bob Quiet Ruth — Ruth Conga — Ruth and Brazilian Cadets
Act II Entr'acte — Orchestra My Darlin' Eileen — Eileen and Policemen Swing — Ruth and Villagers Ohio (Reprise) — Ruth and Eileen It's Love — Eileen, Bob and Villagers Ballet at the Village Vortex — Orchestra (danced by the ensemble) Wrong Note Rag — Ruth, Eileen and Villagers It's Love (Reprise) / Finale — Eileen, Bob, Ruth and Entire Company
"Conquering New York" and "Conversation Piece" both quote Bernstein's piece for solo clarinet and jazz ensemble, "Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs", premiered by Benny Goodman in 1955.
Casts
Principal Casts +CharacterOriginal Broadway ProductionUS National TourOriginal West End ProductionCity Center RevivalBrussels World's Fair ProductionCBS Live Television ProductionCity Center RevivalCity Center RevivalWest End RevivalNew York City Opera ProductionEncores! ProductionBroadway RevivalGoodman Theatre Production Los Angeles Opera ProductionEncores! Production1953-19541954-19551955 1958196319671986199420002003-2005 20162025Ruth SherwoodRosalind RussellCarol ChanningPat KirkwoodNancy WalkerMitzi GreenRosalind RussellKaye BallardElaine StritchMaureen LipmanKay McClelland Donna MurphyBri SudiaFaith PrinceAnika Noni RoseEileen SherwoodEdie AdamsBetty GillettShani WallisJo Sullivan LoesserJoan Hovis Jacquelyn McKeeverLinda BennettEmily MorganCrista MooreLaura BenantiJennifer WestfeldtLauren MolinaNikki M. JamesAisha JacksonRobert Baker George GaynesDennis BowersPeter CooksonJack CassidySydney ChaplinRobert KayeNolan Van WayRay Lonnen Richard MuenzGregg EdelmanKarl HamiltonMarc KudischJavier MuñozFrank Lippencott Cris AlexanderChristopher TaylorCris AlexanderJack FletcherCris AlexanderJim KirkwoodJack FletcherBen StevensDon StephensonDavid Aaron BakerPeter BensonWade ElkinsJared GertnerEtai BensonChick Clark Dort ClarkColin CroftFrank MaxwellRobert WebberDort ClarkGabriel DellRichard FranceJohn CassadyStephen BergerGregory JbaraMichael McGrathSteven StraffordRoger BartJohn RapsonAppopolousHenry LascoeDouglas ChandlerDavid HurstGeorge GivotGeorge TobiasJoseph BuloffPhil LeedsTed ThurstonJames BerwickLarry BlockLewis J. StadlenDavid MarguliesMatt DeCaroTony AbatemarcoDaniel TorresSpeedy Valenti Ted BeniadesStanley RobinsonTed BeniadesFelice Orlandi Ted BeniadesGeorge MarcyRobert DallasCarlos LopezStephen DeRosaStanley Wayne MathisJames Earl Jones IIRoger BartDeWitt Fleming Jr.WreckJordan BentleyWarde DonovanSidney JamesJordan BentleyDarren McGavinJordan BentleyStewart RoseJack KnightNicolas ColicosTimothy Warmen Raymond Jaramillo McLeodJordan BrownBen CrawfordFergie L. PhilippeOfficer LoniganWalter KelvinOran OsburnFrank WilsonJack Rains John WheelerWalter KelvinRonn CarrollPeter EdbrookDon YuleSteve RyanTimothy ShewGeorge Andrew WolffBrian Michael MooreJimmy Ray BennettMrs. Wade Isabella HoopesJean StanleyIsabella HoopesClaire WaringIsabella HoopesPaula TruemanClaire WaringAngela MoranSusan BrowningBecky Ann BakerRandy DansonAmy J. CarleAllison BlackwellHelenMichele BurkeMarilyn SableShirley DouglasBetsy von FurstenbergMichele BurkePat TurnerBetsy von FurstenbergJulie JuppMeghan StrangeJenny HillNancy AndersonSadieh RifaiJulia AksJessie Hooker-Bailey
Notable Replacements Original Broadway Production (1953–1954) Ruth Sherwood: Carol Channing Frank Lippencott: Harold Prince (u/s) Wreck: Joe Layton (u/s)
Broadway Revival (2004–2005) Ruth Sherwood: Brooke Shields Eileen Sherwood: Jennifer Hope Wills Appopolous: Tom Mardirosian Helen: Kate Baldwin
Production history
Original Broadway production