Poor Ruth Sherwood. She's tough, smart and funny. But those qualities don't attract men the way her sister's do. Eileen is beautiful and very good at batting her eyelashes and getting what she wants.
"Wonderful Town" at Dutch Apple
The two sisters (played by Janette Bruce and Meghan Garstang, respectively) arrive in New York's Greenwich Village, circa 1935, in pursuit of their dreams in "Wonderful Town," which opened Thursday night at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre.
"Wonderful Town" at Dutch AppleIt's a sweet and funny show with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (the trio that created the more famous "On the Town"). While not all the songs are home runs, there are a few absolute gems in the show.
And the story is a lot of fun.
The Sherwood sisters have arrived from Ohio, with no jobs or an apartment and very little money.
They quickly meet up with Mr. Appopolous (Marc Ciemiewicz), one of the many quirky Villagers they will be hanging out with. He's a landlord and he pushes them into renting the basement apartment, recently vacated by a hooker.
Ruth is a writer who is determined to conquer the New York publishing world. She gets a bit of encouragement from Robert Baker (Kip Taisey), an editor at the Manhatter, who can relate to moving to New York from a small town and not being able to hold on to your dreams.
This being musical theater, the two begin, ever so slightly, to fall in love.
Eileen is an actress, though she seems more interested in conquering men, which she does quite easily.
Among her many suitors are Frank (Danny Boman), a manager at Walgreens, and Chick Clark (Scott Moereau), a sleazy newspaper man.
The sisters' neighbors include a kinda dumb but sweet ex-football star, Wreck Loomis (Jon Richard Grunert) and his fiancée, Helen (Rachel Goldrick). When her uptight mother (Beth Brandel) comes to town, Wreck has to go live with the sisters.
The music ranges from an infectious "Conga!" number, which Ruth sings with members of the Brazilian Navy (she's on a freelance assignment to interview them), to the sad and lovely "Ohio," in which the sisters wonder if maybe they should go home.
My favorite song in the show is "One Hundred Easy Ways," in which Ruth laments her inability to get a man because she doesn't know how to play dumb. It's hilarious.
Bruce's Ruth is a delight. Her comedy skills are terrific, especially her physical comedy. Watch her move a heavy chair or try to open a sofa bed and you're in "I Love Lucy" territory. She's tough, but vulnerable too.
Garstang (who also did the excellent choreography), gives Eileen the perfect amount of sweetness without making her too sugary.
The rest of the cast is first rate as well. Everyone seems to be having plenty of fun.
Director Ann Nieman understands that the key to success with this show is that everyone just accept the craziness of what's going on and laugh along.
I like her decision to put the terrific orchestra, led by Beth Burrier, up on stage.
First produced in 1953, "Wonderful Town" has a smart, urbane sensibility to it. Not all that well known, it's a warm, funny and highly entertaining show.
"Wonderful Town" is playing at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, 510 Centerville Road, through Nov. 1.
Staff writer Jane Holahan can be reached at jholahan@LNPnews.com or 481-6016.
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