Wonderful Town (2003 Broadway Revival Cast) [EXTRA TRACKS]

Leonard Bernstein (Artist), Betty Comden (Artist), Donna Murphy (Artist), Jennifer Westfeldt (Artist), Adolph Green (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 9, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Drg
• ASIN: B0001BFDIW
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,352 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's 1953 collaboration in Wonderful Town doesn't lack for recordings, including two good studio casts from 1998 and 1999. Yet the uncommonly funny show hadn't received a proper Broadway revival until this 2003 production. As Ruth Sherwood, a role created by Rosalind Russell, Donna Murphy gives a glorious five-star star performance, and nowhere is it more obvious than on "Conga!" and "Swing," the latter a delirious spoof of 1950s Greenwich Village hipsterisms. As Eileen Sherwood, Jennifer Westfeldt doesn't have the crystalline pipes of Audra McDonald (from the 1999 album) but she gives a warm performance that comes across well on CD. The rest of the cast is studded with pros who take obvious delight in the show, and music director Rob Fisher polishes Bernstein's score to a gleam. Truly, Broadway doesn't get much better than this. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly wonderful show, March 9, 2004

By	I. Sondel "I. Sondel - lover of the arts" (Tallahassee, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Wonderful Town" is the 'original' musical adaptation of the play "My Sister Eileen" and features a great musical-comedy score by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Leonard Bernstein. Now, with this first ever Broadway revival, the fifty year old musical is being rediscovered. Donna Murphy is fast becoming one of Broadway's greatest stars. Her performance on this CD (and on the stage of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre) is one of the most accomplished I've ever heard or seen. Under the musical direction of Rob Fisher, Bernstein's score sounds fresh and vital. The lyrics by the great Comden and Green are among their most inventive. The opening number - "Christopher Street" - is every bit the equal of (and some would say companion to) "New York, New York" from this team's earlier collaboration "On the Town." Whimsical and full of good intentioned high jinks, the score is populated with one character driven number after another. Among the highlights are "Ohio," "A Hundred Easy Ways," "A Little Bit in Love," "My Darlin' Eileen," "It's Love," "Wrong Note Rag" and the crazy-wonderful first act finale "Conga!" (which is terrific on this disc - but all the more memorable if you've seen the show - Murphy brings down the house). If you love musical comedy, don't skip this CD or this show.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'S Wonderful, March 10, 2004

By A Customer

This recording of the new Broadway revival is a must-have for anyone interested in the state of old Broadway. During the last few seasons, Broadway has been awash with mediocre revivals of mediocre musicals, most of which added nothing to the originals and failed at the boxoffice. While the current "Wonderful Town" isn't a smash with ticketbuyers, it deserves to find an audience and this CD shows why. The score is simply one of the quirkiest, funniest and most energetic delights in the annals of American musicals, and the current cast lights up the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (and this recording) with boundless razzmataz. At the center of this juggernaut is the euphoric Donna Murphy, who brings her own distinctive stamp and vocal finesse to a role that once seemed impossible to imagine without the incomparable Rosalind Russell. Well, Murphy has achieved the impossible, for she has made the familiar seem brand new and exhilirating. Just listen to "One Hundred Easy Ways...", "Swing" and, most especially, "Conga" to hear how much fun she's having. It's infectious. Murphy hits just the right notes, literally and figuratively, with the tough but tender character of Ruth. She's given fine support by a cast of mostly unknowns. The gentle Jennifer Westfeldt may not have the vocal heft of previous "Eileens" but she's right for the part and balances Ruth's cynicism with a lighthearted wistfulness. The always reliable Greg Edelman is a perfect foil for these ladies and adds a touch of whimsy to a part that could be, let's face it, just a wee bit boring. While the orchestrations are a bit thin on this recording (Broadway's current tendency is to run with fewer musicians), this is the most complete version of the score yet recorded and the production is absolutely pristine. It's a great addition to the revival mania that has overtaken the Great White Way. Buy the CD, then trek on down to the Hirschfeld Theatre for the wonderful "Wonderful Town."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thoroughly Wonderful "Wonderful Town", July 1, 2004

By A Customer

The most recent of the Wonderful Town recordings - the cast album of the current B'way revival - has much to recommoned. Yes, Donna Murphy is great as Ruth, but she has expert support, and the orchestra is glorious! I saw the revival a fortnight ago, glorious, and this CD is a great document. It may not be Bernstein's best Broadway score, but hell, it is just fine, thanks: it is jazzy, upbeat, and does contain one (perhaps lesser known) standard: "A Little Bit In Love." Comden & Green wrote great lyrics: clevery, insightful, and intelligent. What an entertainment!