Wonderful Town, based on the play My Sister Eileen, opened on Broadway in 1953 and ran for 559 performances. Today it is largely overshadowed by Bernstein's other stage works like On the Town and West Side Story which is a pity as this sparkling new Rattle recording proves. It is about two sisters from Ohio and their wacky adventures in New York's Greenwich Village. Eileen's beauty enslaves the men, including half the police force in the very witty 'My Darlin' Eileen' in which they insist she is Irish because she "comes from Kilarney." Ruth just wants to become a successful writer. Bernstein's exuberant, jazz-based score is big and breezy especially in the colourful celebration of the larger-than-life characters of 'Christopher Street.' The score also embraces the conga, swing and rag forms. All the singers are excellent, attacking their characterisations with great enthusiasm and commitment, and relishing the sharp-witted lyrics of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. McDonald as Eileen is sweetly sentimental in 'A Little Bit in Love' while Criswell, as Ruth, is wickedly funny in 'One hundred easy ways to (loose a man). The ever-versatile and impressive Hampson is dreamily romantic in 'It's Love.'

Reviewer

Ian Lace