Mount Greylock Staging Musical 'Wonderful Town'By Molly Polk
Community Submission
03:23PM / Thursday, March 08, 2012
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Mount Greylock Regional High School will stage its spring musical in the auditorium on Thursday to Saturday, March 8, 9 and 10, at 7 p.m.
The production of "Wonderful Town" is directed by faculty member Jeff Welch, curriculum leader for history and music, and brings together more than 40 students on stage, in the crew and in the pit orchestra.
Tickets for the performances are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults and may be purchased at the door.
"Wonderful Town" premiered on Broadway in 1953 and was revived in 2003. The musical has won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Choreography. Written by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov and based on their 1940 play "My Sister Eileen," a work itself inspired by a collection of stories written by Ruth McKenney. "Wonderful Town" is sure to delight audiences with its intriguing plot and memorable songs composed by Leonard Bernstein.
The production traces the adventures and misadventures of two sisters who move from their comfortable Ohio town to Greenwich Village in New York in pursuit of their dreams.
"I saw 'Wonderful Town' with the Mount Greylock High School chorus on Broadway in 2004," Welch said. "It is a dynamite production that fits our students well and should appeal to a broad audience."
Senior Karl Mick, who plays the role of Robert Baker, said, "I love the experience the characters have in New York City, finding themselves, and developing relationships with a diverse range of people."
Mary Laidlaw, also a senior, plays one of the sisters, Ruth Sherwood.
"Wonderful Town is a classic story with a unique twist," Laidlaw said. "It manages to be inspirational, entertaining, funny, serious and imparts a powerful message — never to give up your dreams."
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