GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS!! The Centennial anniversary of New York’s MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET is just 29 DAYS AWAY. We’re talking the 100th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. To keep us in that ultimate Broadway spirit, New York Broadway Tours TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN continues with more legendary performances from previous telecasts that taken center stage in front of that iconic famed store in Herald Square. Are you ready for more?
At # 29 on our countdown, we take you deep in the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village in the year of 1935. It tells the tale of 2 sisters from Ohio with big aspirations and dreams…. One sister is witty, awkward, and very resourceful with determination of being a writer. The other is that sweet, adorable, optimistic, and dreamy girl who wants to become an actress. This is their life in that…. Wonderful Town . The show features a legendary score by Leonard Bernstein along with lyrics by. It features a book by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, adapted from their real life previous play entitled MY SISTER EILEEN (which came based off of real life stories from the musical’s real-life character Ruth McKenney).
From the 2004 telecast, the iconic Brooke Shields as the witty and knowledgeable “Ruth McKenney” gets a side job promoting one of the hottest night clubs in Greenwich Village getting the company introduced to the latest jazz rage of them all. Here they are performing the toe-tapping SWING.
WONDERFUL TOWN was developed in exactly just 4 consecutive weeks by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green along with Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov. They were inspired from the autobiographical short stories of Ruth McKenney about her and her sister Eileen’s real-life experiences in New York City, that was published in The New Yorker in the late 1930s. While writing, the creators faced a heated argument as Fields and Chodorov preferred a nostalgic tone, while Bernstein, Comden, and Green injected a more dissonant, satirical, and fast-paced theatrical style. However, they were still able to reach the deadlines.
The show would have its world premiere run in 1952 in Philadelphia at the Forrest Theatre. The early reception was mixed. The vocal performances were raised including its leading lady. However, early local critics thought the book was a bit dated and felt uneven. But, the team was able to still work on the show despite the criticism, eventually getting better being transformed into an eventual blockbuster
of its time.
Just several months later, heading into the following year of 1953, it premiered at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre. The reviews there became enthusiastic. Contemporary critics and audiences hailed it as the top new musical comedy of the season, praised for its unabashed freshness, bounciness, and high-spirited energy. The vocal talents and score was raved.
It would go on to where it ran for 559 PERFORMANCES.
Under the direction of George Abbott and choreographed by Donald Saddler, the cast was led by….
Rosalind Russell (later Carol Channing) as “Ruth Sherwood”,
Edie Adams as “Eileen Sherwood”,
George Gaynes as “Robert “Bob” Baker”,
Cris Alexander as “Frank Lippencott”,
And more.
It was nominated and won 5 all of its Tony Awards categories consisting of….
The top honor for BEST MUSICAL,
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Rosalind Russell),
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (for Donald Saddler),
BEST CONDUCTOR / MUSICAL DIRECTOR (for Lehman Engel),
&
BEST SCENIC DESIGN (for Raoul Péné Du Bois).
In addition, Edie Adams was the recipient for the Theater World Awards.
With the success of its Broadway run, the show would go on to debut overseas a year later in London’s West End playing the Prince’s Theatre (now the Shaftesbury Theatre) for only 207 performances. Interestingly, when it was revived there in 1983, it ran for over a year getting an Olivier Award nomination as BEST NEW MUSICAL (even though it’s mainly considered as revival). However, it lost the category.
WONDERFUL TOWN would find its way back to the Big Apple in 2000. It originally was performed as a semi-staged concert production at New York City Center, part of its ENCORES series. The production did so well, it took the creative team 2 years to expand the staging into a full length production marking it as the first Broadway revival.
This Broadway transfer would not happen until 2003 playing the Al Hirschfeld Theatre lasting for 16 previews and 497 regular performances. It would receive positive reviews by critics and audience alike.
Under the direction and choreography by Kathleen Marshall, this revival cast was led by…
Donna Murphy (later Brooke Shields) as “Ruth Sherwood”,
Jennifer Westfield (later Jennifer Hope Wills as “Eileen Sherwood”,
Greg Edelman as “Robert “Bob” Baker”,
Peter Benson as “Frank Lippencott”,
& more.
This revival of WONDERFUL TOWN was nominated for 4 Tony Awards including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL, It would only go on to win for BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (for Kathleen Marshall), It also received several Drama Desk Award wins including OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS (for Donna Murphy). Plus, Jennifer Westfield was the recipient for the Theatre World Award.
Most recently, WONDERFUL TOWN played a second stint production at New York City Center Encores in 2025. Under the direction of Zhailon Levingston, this version had a full diverse cast. It earned mixed reviews with uneven staging, book concerns being dated, and still positive vocal performances.
This consisted of…
Anika Noni Rose as “Ruth Sherwood”,
Aisha Jackson as “Eileen Sherwood”,
Javier Munoz as “Robert “Bob” Baker”,
Etai Benson as “Frank Lippencott”,
& more.
Along with its success on stage, WONDERFUL TOWN was only captured on camera once. In 1958, the musical was made into a live televised production on CBS. Under the direction of Mel Herbert plus staying true to the original stage production’s creative team, this cast was led by….
Rosalind Russell reprising her performance as “Ruth Sherwood”,
Jacquelyn McKeever as “Eileen Sherwood”,
Sydney Chaplin as “Robert “Bob” Baker”,
Cris Alexander reprising his performance as “Frank Lippencott”,
And more.
Today, WONDERFUL TOWN continues to be played around the world in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
How jazzy was that performance?!!!
If you love great classic musicals, #BookYoutTickets & join us for our Walking Tours!!
#BroadwayAtMacys #Top30Countdown #MacysParade #Thanksgiving #CountdowntoThanksgiving #Top30BroadwayAtMacysCountdown
WATCH WONDERFUL TOWN’S PERFORMANCE HERE
https://youtu.be/OwfIvpw-HYg?is=nc3VZ4EGE3sFh5kl
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