Wonderful Town

Breaking from its unsuccessful tradition, Radcliffe's Drumbeats and Song last night produced a delightful version of Leonard Bernstein's Wonderful Town.

In an enthusiastic performance, the large cast captured the spirit of this rollicking play and kept an appreciative Sanders audience at its fingertips. The evening was paced by the charm and voice of Vivi Thomas as Eileen and by the near-perfect performance of Jane Hallowell as the volatile Ruth. Miss Thomas' Eileen is saucy, gay, and captivating, and hers is the outstanding voice of the show. In the rare moments when the play lagged, Miss Hallowell's forceful humor picked up the action and lent the show new life. Perhaps the most triumphant moment came in the second act when Ruth led the chorus in an exciting delivery of "Swing," the play's fast-moving jazz number.

Wonderful Town's book, concerning the adventures of two ambitious midwestern sisters in naughty old Greenwich Village, lacks both continuity and imagination. A less skillful and enthusiastic production might have turned the play into a series of entertaining but isolated revues. Instead, Louise Bell and Susie Colt's direction has not only developed the contrast between the two sisters, it has managed to keep some continuity in the action.

John Jones and Steven Klass as Eileen's suitors gave spirited, humorous performances; Jones at times almost stealing the action with his ludicrous mannerisms. Carola Kitteridge's caricature of the sister's landlady was one of the delights of the evening. Robert Scher, as the eventual recipient of Ruth's long repressed affections, made up for an adequate voice with his ease and natural stage manner. The roles of the Village lovers, the Wreck and his Helen, were capably filled by Oscar Anderson and Jill Kneerim.

In this play which depends to such a great extent on a fast pace and sustained humor, the contribution of the chorus is essential. Although occasionally awkward and at first somewhat limp, both the male and female choruses soon found their stride and by the climactic scenes of the second act, successfully projected their spirit to the audience. Their singing and dancing of such numbers as "Swing" and "Conga" was not only circusy but buoyant. Jim Fadiman's Valenti, the sleezy operator of a Village nightspot, was perhaps the outstanding member of the chorus.

What magnified the evening's success was the limitations on staging imposed by Sanders Theatre. The absence of a curtain, and the necessary inflexibility of drops and settings, made for a somewhat primitive production. This was especially unfortunate when it resulted in frantic and sometimes unnecessary scurrying to adjust the properties.

Joel Pitcoff at the piano, accompanied by drums and bass, did his best to cover up these scamperings on stage. He warmed to his work and his lively piano not only supported the choreography closely, but added much life to the show. The overture, while ably performed, did not have sufficient impact when performed on a single instrument.

While a necessity in the past, the Drumbeats kickline, although exhibiting the cream of Radcliffe, was, when on stage with Wonderful Town, almost too much of a good thing.

Drumbeat and Song's recovery with Wonderful Town combines the talents of the two female leads with a strong supporting cast in what is one of this season's most ebullient productions. The only regrets of last night's appreciative audience concerned the brevity of the show's run and the modesty of the cast in ignoring the repeated cries of 'encore.'