S'Wonderful!
Hubby and I went to see the Kessler production of Wonderful Town on Monday night, and we really enjoyed it. I came into the theatre knowing very little about the show, which is unusual for me. Most of the time, I'm familiar with the book and music, so I wasn't sure what to expect from Wonderful Town. A quick synopsis: sisters Eileen and Ruth of Ohio come to New York to try and make it. Ruth, the intellectual, ishoping to write for a newspaper, while the lovely Eileen has her sights set on a performance career. The sisters rent a unpromising cellar apartment and get on with pounding the pavement. Pretty soon, they've made friends, made memories, and made it in New York.
Wonderful Town was written in the early 1950s, and it was based on a collection of stories written in the late 1930s. It very much reflects the sensibilities of a bygone era. Ruth is the smart, but not so pretty sister, who seems to lose men by refusing to minimize her own brainpower. Eileen is the pretty, but dippy, younger sister, who coasts through life on the adoration of men. Sexual innuendo is minimal and innocent, with the girls turning suitors out of their lives for getting fresh.
The absolute standout in the cast was Deborah Lynn as Ruth Sherwood. A versatile actress, she played her voice like an instrument to achieve the desired effect, whether it was smooth ballad style or "hep" scat. In addition, she was confortable enough with movement to be both sultry and hilarious during dance numbers. Lastly, some scenes saw her changing in and out of characters like scarves. Hands down, she was the best performer on stage. One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man, Conga, and Swing were some of my favorite numbers in the show.
Allison Berry as Eileen was also good. She had a strong soprano voice. However, I thought she threw some of her funniest lines/situational comedy away. But this did not detract from one of my absolute favorite songs in the show - My Darlin' Eileen - in which a group of devoted Irish policemen serenade the lovely girl to show their affection. SO CUTE!!
I felt that Matthew Sean Callahan, playing newspaper editor Bob Baker (who later falls in love with Ruth), was more of a singer than an actor. His movement work was minimal, and most songs were sung straight out to the house with little internal motivation or emotional inflection. He has a wonderful singing voice, to be sure, but I would have loved to hear more of the inner workings of the character in it.
Trey Mitchell, playing Eileen's Walgreens suitor Frank, was another standout. With few lines and no songs, he managed to milk his role for every laugh it was worth. I enjoyed watching him.
Costumes were cute and fun, sets were versatile and workable. I REALLY enjoyed the choreography at the top of the Swing number, when two couples dancing in a club do some of the steamiest (not raunchiest) movement work I've seen in a while. I'm assuming this is the original choreography by Kathleen Marshall, but it may bear influence of co-dance captains Andy Bero and Beth Crandall. Whoever was responsible, they deserve a pat on the back.
All in all, though the book and songs are a bit dated, it was a great show!
Wonderful Town was written in the early 1950s, and it was based on a collection of stories written in the late 1930s. It very much reflects the sensibilities of a bygone era. Ruth is the smart, but not so pretty sister, who seems to lose men by refusing to minimize her own brainpower. Eileen is the pretty, but dippy, younger sister, who coasts through life on the adoration of men. Sexual innuendo is minimal and innocent, with the girls turning suitors out of their lives for getting fresh.
The absolute standout in the cast was Deborah Lynn as Ruth Sherwood. A versatile actress, she played her voice like an instrument to achieve the desired effect, whether it was smooth ballad style or "hep" scat. In addition, she was confortable enough with movement to be both sultry and hilarious during dance numbers. Lastly, some scenes saw her changing in and out of characters like scarves. Hands down, she was the best performer on stage. One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man, Conga, and Swing were some of my favorite numbers in the show.
Allison Berry as Eileen was also good. She had a strong soprano voice. However, I thought she threw some of her funniest lines/situational comedy away. But this did not detract from one of my absolute favorite songs in the show - My Darlin' Eileen - in which a group of devoted Irish policemen serenade the lovely girl to show their affection. SO CUTE!!
I felt that Matthew Sean Callahan, playing newspaper editor Bob Baker (who later falls in love with Ruth), was more of a singer than an actor. His movement work was minimal, and most songs were sung straight out to the house with little internal motivation or emotional inflection. He has a wonderful singing voice, to be sure, but I would have loved to hear more of the inner workings of the character in it.
Trey Mitchell, playing Eileen's Walgreens suitor Frank, was another standout. With few lines and no songs, he managed to milk his role for every laugh it was worth. I enjoyed watching him.
Costumes were cute and fun, sets were versatile and workable. I REALLY enjoyed the choreography at the top of the Swing number, when two couples dancing in a club do some of the steamiest (not raunchiest) movement work I've seen in a while. I'm assuming this is the original choreography by Kathleen Marshall, but it may bear influence of co-dance captains Andy Bero and Beth Crandall. Whoever was responsible, they deserve a pat on the back.
All in all, though the book and songs are a bit dated, it was a great show!
Comments