Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Book by Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields
Based on the play "My Sister Eileen" by Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields
Greenwich Village was an exciting place in 1930s New York. It is as it was then home to the city's artistic community. Ruth, a writer, and her sister Eileen who wants a stage career, take lodgings in the Village. Where they live is not ideal and there is building work going on all around them and there is also a constant stream of, to say the least, bizarre visitors mainly because Eileen is the sort of girl everyone wants to help - and does - with food and gifts. Ruth, on the other hand, is pursuing her journalistic career although Bob Baker, the associate editor of the Manhatter is not overly impressed with Ruth's overwritten efforts. He suggests to her that she should use her own experiences and write from those.
Ruth is deputed to interview some young Brazilians who have arrived in port. Unfortunately, the visitors know only three words of English, American, dance and conga. Ruth is lead a merry dance around and through the streets of Greenwich Village and the company is promptly arrested.
Bob actually likes what Ruth has written and submitted about the Brazilians but when his editor turns it down, Bob resigns. This causes a dilemma for the two sisters. Is it to be back to Columbus, Ohio for the two girls? Eileen likes Bob but she already has plenty of suitors; on the other hand Ruth is really attracted to him. Then fate intervenes. The newspapers are full of the blonde-bombshell who hijacked the Brazilian Navy. Who is this femme fatale - it is none other than our Eileen. However, she is offered a cabaret spot in a nightclub. Her act is a resounding success. Resulting from this, Ruth gets her Bob - and a press accreditation - and Eileen - well, just about everything else.......!
| Description | Photo |
Contributed By |
|---|---|---|
| Description 1 |
|
|
| Description 2 |
|
|
| Description 3 |
|
| Memories |
Contributed By |
| I'm afraid I just don't remember much of the show (it has been 26 years) other than the night I sat on stage reading "Ruths" (Mary Jo Kerwin) stories...in the wrong order. There was a particular order for the three stories to be read as Ruth played out each behind me on stage. As I understand it, Mary Jo was having a great time frantically changing out of the costume for the segment I was supposed to be reading into the appropriate costume for the segment I was about to read. Wish someone had gotten that on film. |
---Jeff Davis aka "Bob Baker" |
|
|
|
|
|