Theater Review: Wonderful Town

by Shawn Parikh

Here is the problem: Wonderful Town is old-fashioned … like in an Ozzie & Harriet sort of way. Hence, the plot is pretty simple, it ties up into nice neat little bow, characters don’t really grow, and the humor is pretty obsolete. So with all of the cheesiness and corniness of the musical, you have to set aside your thoughts and just sit back and enjoy it for what it is. Knowing this, I actually had fun watching the show, but it should have been renamed Decent Town.

The show is about two sisters, Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, who move to New York in 1935 to become a writer and singer/actress, respectively. They “struggle” with finding work and have to deal with the “harsh reality” of New York. Ruth is the spunky (brunette) writer who holds a stiff upper lip attitude while Eileen is the pretty (blonde) “little miss goody two shoes” who is naïve, but gets guys to do whatever she wants. Pretty weak story and everything just seems to work out in the end. This makes the end seem really abrupt when things just suddenly start going right, and the second act really had no conflict.

The best part of the show is the actress who plays Ruth Sherwood, Deborah Lynn. She has attitude, great characterization, and a natural-yet-blunt delivery, making her the most appealing to today’s time. She excelled the most at pulling laughs from the audience and she even had a couple of songs (“One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man” and “Conga”) that were catchy and really well-performed.

Allison Berry, who plays Eileen, had a great stage presence and did the best job she could with such an annoying character. Some of her 1930s naiveté makes you want to throw a glass of water in her face, but Berry commits to her character all the way. Her song, “A Little Bit in Love,” was pretty enjoyable and you do want her to succeed in the end.

Trey Mitchell, who plays one of Eileen’s followers, Frank, stands out in a minor role, and adds a great touch of comedy when he is on stage. The other characters were pretty two-dimensional and didn’t really stand out. Matthew Sean Callahan plays the male lead, Bob Baker, who is trapped in a love triangle with the Sherwood sisters, but the character is so bland that you would rather have the sisters become spinsters.

The music and the live band added a nice jazzy flair and enjoyably distracted during set changes. I was actually not bored during most of the songs since the music was pretty catchy and did not really hinder the plot. Choreography also made the show fun and was able to create the right atmosphere at the right time, especially during the “Ballet at the Village Vortex.” Also, during the song, “Swing,” the ensemble has an awesome moment where they create the music with body and vocal percussion.

So it’s good to go to the show knowing it is pretty outdated so that you can just sit back, relax and have fun. And it is the ensemble that provides great energy with such a weak story. I have to mention how discouraging it was to see about 30% of the audience leave when the actors were coming out for the curtain call. I thought it was common knowledge and courtesy, especially at the Dallas Summer Musicals, for audiences to applaud a show. Guess it was more important to get to a parked car.

The show runs until May 20, and you can by tickets online or by calling 214-631-ARTS.

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