Review: Wonderful Town

Leonard Bernstein, along with lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green, wrote two salutes to the city of New York. In 1944 it was On the Town (staged recently at Music Circus), and in 1953 it was Wonderful Town, currently part of the summer music festival staged by the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble. Dennis Beasley, who made such an impression last season with Bells are Ringing, directs.

The musical is based on the stories of Ruth McKenney and was first produced as the play My Sister Eileen by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov. It tells the story of the Sherwood sisters Ruth (Gia Battista) and Eileen (sister Gabby Battista), who have left their childhood home in Ohio and come to New York for all of the opportunities they feel it offers. Ruth is an aspiring writer, while Eileen wants to break into show business. They soon learn that life in the Big Apple is not quite what they expected.

The Battistas are absolutely wonderful in their roles, and their homesick duet “Ohio,” is as smooth as velvet. Both women also get their own chance to shine in a solo number, particularly Gia in the fun “Conga,” in a nightclub with a bunch of Brazilian sailors.

But this is a show with an all-star cast, including Kevin Caravalho, Ian Hopps, Brian Bohlender, Kyle Stoner and J.R. Yancher, among others, many of whom play more than one role.

Choreography is by Katie Peters and includes Irish jigs, swing and the aforementioned conga. Music is provided by the onstage seven-member orchestra, under the direction of David Taylor-Gomes.