Main Street Comes to Mainstage

A fun throwback to the bright and bold era of jazz, swing, and brass will open on the Loeb Mainstage tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s production of “Wonderful Town,” a classic musical composed by Leonard Bernstein, tells the tale of two sisters from Columbus, Ohio who make the move to the big city. Set in 1930s Manhattan, “Wonderful Town” is a coming-of-age story filled with large musical numbers and big group dances.

“A lot of the shows at Harvard in the past few years have been more modern, experimental rock musicals,” producer David C. Manella ’14 says. There hasn’t been a production of a Golden Age classic musical such as “Oklahoma!” “Bye Bye Birdy,” or “Wonderful Town” very recently. “It really has this heartfelt story to it, but I also think that it’s an excuse for big song and dance numbers,” Manella says.

Director Susanna B. Wolk ’14 is excited about the relatable nature of the plot. “Even though it is kind of old-fashioned...it’s still pretty relevant in that this is kind of an experience that a lot of us will be having as we move to big cities,” Wolk says.

The set echoes the excitement of the characters on stage, and set designer Madi L. Taylor ’16 has composed the cityscape in bright reds, greens, and blues. Wolk says that this aesthetic captures the enthusiasm of a person seeing the big city for the first time.

“I think the city is one of the main characters of the show as well. It has its own personality,” Manella says. Set in a particularly artsy area of Manhattan, Greenwich Village, the show brings together zany characters in a loud, happening atmosphere.

The production’s 17-piece orchestra blasts a jazzy, big band sound, adding life to a fun musical that Wolk anticipates will be a fun and joyful event.

—Staff writer Nzuekoh N. Nchinda can be reached at nzuekohnchinda14@ college.harvard.edu.