Wonderful Town

In the late 1930s, two sisters from small-town Ohio arrive in New York City. But their newly rented basement apartment quickly becomes a test of nerves—right beneath Greenwich Village, a subway tunnel is being blasted into the ground. The naive Eileen, dreaming of a career in show business, finds herself surrounded by eager admirers, while the no-nonsense Ruth tries to carve out a place for herself in the city’s literary world. After many ups and downs, both sisters are headed for a happy ending—though not without a few surprises along the way.

In 1953, musical multitalent Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story, On the Town) and his team created this musical tribute to vibrant New York in just a few weeks. With its madcap comedy, snappy jazz-infused score, and high-energy dance numbers, Wonderful Town became an instant hit. Just three years later, it premiered at the Volksoper in Vienna—making it one of the very first musicals ever performed in the German-speaking world.