by Laura Lane
That¹s due to all of the talent at the high school and teachers who worked incredibly hard to resurrect a play that has not only a dated script, but also a challenging score, written by the great Leonard Bernstein in only five days.
The story is sweet, following the challenges two small-town sisters, Ruth, played to perfection by Carrie Lynn Heffernan, and Eileen, played by the gifted singer Gina Occhiogrosso, face when they arrive in New York City determined to succeed.
It¹s not the most original idea for a play, but ³Wonderful Town² was written in 1953. Even then, however, writers Joseph Fields and Jerone Chodorov envisioned Manhattan¹s West Village as a hot place to live.
Searching for an apartment on Christopher Street, the sisters learn quickly that city life is quite different than anything they¹ve experienced, as they dodge drunks stumbling down the sidewalk. They try to make do with a basement apartment that has one small window that lacks even a curtain, let alone security bars. No matter. With little money, privacy is not of the utmost importance to the girls, who need to find jobs.
To keep a play written in the 1950s plausible and entertaining, the actors, musicians, direction and choreography must be excellent. All the pieces need to fall together, and they did at Clarke. After the first few minutes, it didn¹t matter that the story was a bit old-fashioned; you were just having too much fun watching.
The best number in the show, was ³Ohio² a beautiful, melodic piece in which the homesick sisters wonder if they¹ve made a mistake coming to New York, and whether they should just go home. A beautiful duet by Heffernan and Occhiogrosso, ³Ohio,² conveyed the sisters¹ vulnerability as well as their unyielding loyalty to each other.
Occhiogrosso¹s voice was at its loveliest in ³Ohio.² And the role of Eileen, described throughout the play as a beauty, is sometimes a thankless one, as she serves as something of a second fiddle to the broadly drawn Ruth. But Occhiogrosso, who is indeed a beauty, managed to make Eileen sympathetic and likable ‹ the kind of sister you¹d like to have and would never be jealous of, because, well, she¹s just too kind.
Heffernan only continues to improve as an actress and singer. Her voice is warmth personified, her acting always interesting, and her comedic timing flawless. She has such strong presence on stage that even if she isn¹t speaking, you can¹t take your eyes off her. That¹s something a performer is born with, and this reviewer will miss Heffernan when she graduates this year.
While enjoying ³Wonderful Town,² which I saw both nights, I couldn¹t help but think of that tired old saw, ³They just don¹t make ¹em like they used to.² And even though some of the dialogue is old-fashioned, it only makes the play funnier. A case in point is when Eileen calls the sleazy Chick Clark, a newspaperman who gives us journalists a bad name, played with just the right amount of creepiness by Tim Guarino, a ³skunk.²
Director Mark P. Kenny deserves much credit for the success of the production. He successfully overcame a small budget (if he had one at all), creating a fine set that effectively captured the anonymity of city apartment living. Using a simple bright red brick wall, the set suggested an unmistakable tawdriness, and three flights of stairs leading up to three working doors conveyed the continual motion of the city that never sleeps.
Audience members felt the pulse of Manhattan through Irene Fotakis¹s excellent choreography. Working with mostly non-dancers, she created some interesting moments nonetheless, and everyone looked like they were having a great time. Most memorable were ³Swing,² a number infused with smoky sexual energy, and the high-spirited ³Conga,² in which a line of Brazilian cadets, led by Ruth, marched up and down the aisles of the theater. With so much unfolding action, especially in ³Swing,² it was almost disappointing when the numbers came to an end.
That leads me to another challenge that Kenny must overcome production after production. There just aren¹t enough boys auditioning at Clarke for the high school plays. But Kenny succeeded in working with the girls who played male roles, in particular Toby Klein, playing Speedy Valenti, the jaded nightclub owner. Klein portrayed the character as impish and sly, using a cute, snappy delivery, which made Speedy quite endearing and always fun to watch.
The group of Brazilian, non-English-speaking cadets, also played by girls, were delightful. We tended to forget they were girls, or maybe by that point we just didn¹t care anymore. The play was fun, everyone was laughing and, well, they could be girls, at least in 2007. Like this year¹s women competing in ³American Idol,² the girls in ³Wonderful Town² rocked; playing the opposite sex didn¹t matter one bit.
But I don¹t want to take anything away from the boys, because they were quite good, too. I just wish there were more of them.
Sam Colbert played Bob Baker, the editor of The Manhatter, with the perfect combination of sensitivity, kindness and intellect. Like Heffernan, Colbert continues to improve with each production. His acting choices in developing his characters always convey a sincerity missing from the performances of many of today¹s male leads, and his singing voice, although not always right for the role of Baker, was still wonderfully warm and lyrical.
You¹re supposed to want Bob Baker to wake up and notice that Ruth would be perfect for him, but its Colbert¹s performance that makes you want it even more.
Gino Gentilini-Pagonis, who played The Wrek, was hilarious. Not very bright, he was a perfect match for the equally not so bright Helen, played by the delightful Maria Gordon.
³Wonderful Town² depends upon fine musical direction which Paul Laconti provided, and an orchestra that dazzled, directed by the talented Kevin Scully. And the teenagers in the pit couldn¹t have been better. Proficient equally at finding the beauty in Bernstein, they were also able to hit hard the brassy jazz that makes the score unique, and special just like the setting where the play comes to life ‹ New York City.
