A Too-Wonky WONDERFUL TOWN — Review

Like the two sisters its plot follows, the latest City Center Encores! production of Wonderful Town has a problem of dueling priorities. As conducted by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Leonard Bernstein’s music (with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green) sounds exceptional, and is often beautifully performed by a cast led by Anika Noni Rose and Aisha Jackson. But instead of focusing on the score, Zhailon Levingston’s essentially fully staged production seems more like the second week of rehearsals for a piece that may gel together down the line.

To be fair, it’s a noble effort. The book, by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov (based on their play, My Sister Eileen, and short stories by Ruth McKenny) is neither structurally sound nor emotionally fulfilling. It follows two sisters recently arrived at the Greenwich Village of the 1930s from small-town Ohio: budding journalist Ruth (Rose) and the younger Eileen (Jackson), whose acting aspirations are intertwined with a love of flirting. The story is somewhat episodic, roping in adventures involving kooky neighbors, possible romances and job opportunities. It’s a loose, fun portrait of New York City’s bohemian subcultures which requires charm to really sell itself.

The music is the thing. To hear this cast tackle this score would have been enough for an Encores! presentation, which typically counts upon an extremely condensed, two-week rehearsal period. Anika Noni Rose with a script in hand would sound just as lovely, and there’s a specialness engendered by dressed-down productions. Minimum staging and visible music stands force an audience to relish in the aural, and fill in situational gaps as they pop up; more elaborate productions leave those gaps, well, gaping.

And here’s where this Wonderful Town suffers: the ensemble handles the score exceptionally well, but only most of the time. Duets like Rose and Jackson’s “Ohio” don’t sound like they’ve been properly harmonized, and it begins to feel as if they’d been pulled from music rehearsals to prep their scene work. The result leaves both sides lacking far too many times, especially with the underbaked comedy number, “Pass the Football,” which leaves the otherwise amiable Fergie Philippe stranded.

That feeling of being adrift climaxes in a dinner scene, where Eileen has invited several potential lovers and hirers to a potluck at the sisters’ apartment. Rose and Jackson’s undercooked relationship – she’s neither furious at this pseudo-ambush, nor overtly expectant of such behavior – can’t carry its awkwardness, and none of the accompanying actors (Javier Muñoz, John Rapson and Etai Benson) seem to know what to do. The scene drags out lifelessly until it finally sputters.

The fullness of the presentation’s creative elements testify to its ambitions. There are joyous moments of choreography (by Lorin Latarro, with Ayodele Casel taking over the tap numbers) and Teresa L. Williams’ set is evocative and efficient. Linda Cho’s costumes are also nice to look at, but confusingly dress this colorful neighborhood in black and white.

It feels wrong to critique this so harshly, but the production bleeds with an overwhelming need for prioritized direction. The concepts, the relationships, the performances and the production elements all have their heart in the right place, and might one day make for a stellar revival. The much shorter second act, more plot-forward and with clear tracks for the whole team, feels like the tighter ideal of the whole endeavor. But if the purpose of Encores! is to unearth hidden musical gems from an unexplored canon, then each iteration offers its own treasures, even if the production itself is the muck covering its own diamonds. Here, it’s Campbell’s music direction, Jackson’s dreamy vocals, and Rose’s indomitable presence. Those will always shine. 

‍Wonderful Town is in performance through May 11, 2025 at New York City Center on West 55th Street in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here.