Wonderful Town

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:24pm

I didn't see Brooke Shields in Wonderful Town and was wondering what those of you who did thought of her performance?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:36pm

Your question was discussed on a thread started 8/10/07:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardid=1&boardname=bway&thread=944266#3227697

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/23/08 at 4:38pm

She received rave reviews.

Her performance was a breath of fresh air. She was sensational. She shocked many people with that performance.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/23/08 at 8:11pm

The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake opens their production of WONDERFUL TOWN tomorrow night. I caught an early preview and it looks like a fine production, even without the "star" power that Rosalind Russell and Donna Murphy brought to the Broadway productions.

[christhefish]

Posted: 5/23/08 at 11:23pm

Wonderful Town with Brooke Shields was actually my first Broadway show. I thought she was amazing. I was very impressed.

[mc1227]

Posted: 5/23/08 at 11:51pm

I saw Wonderful Town with Brooke Shields and really loved her performance. She was great with all aspects, singing, dancing and especially some wonderful comedic acting. I was a bit skeptical before I saw it, but left the theatre extremely pleased.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/24/08 at 12:21am

Here is a video (with clips from the show) of the welcome party for Brooke Shields and Jennifer Hope Wells from Thursday 10/14/2004:

http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Video.aspx?ci=501490


Raves for Brooke Shields...

Replacing a "critics darling" like Donna Murphy is no easy task, and the Broadway world (no puns intended) have been speculating for weeks now that Brooke Shields might very well crash and burn replacing the oft-absent star in Wonderful Town. This mornings reviews, positive across the board, show that's certainly not the case. In fact, it sounds like it was just what the show doctor ordered to push that show back up where it belongs.

Clive Barnes in the New York Post says "Brooke's a Wonder" and "Both Shields as Ruth and Wills as her Sister Eileen are smashing. These two are not re placements, they are renewals." Howard Kissel in the Daily News has a similar take "Brooke sparkles" in which he notes, "Her singing has improved greatly since I saw her three years ago in "Cabaret." Obviously it is a pleasure to watch those long, sensuous legs kick in Kathleen Marshall's spirited choreography." Newsday says "Brooke's 'Wonderful' world" and that "she appears to be saving the day at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre." Last but not least is Ben Brantley in the Times, "Brooke Shields as a Naif Who Can't Get a Date" writes "Ms. Shields is an unpretentious delight here, adding a goofy sweetness to a production whose charms have only mellowed since it opened last fall." All the reviews praised the still superb ensemble, and supporting cast as well so kudos all around...

Posted on October 18, 2004 - by Michael Dale
Updated On: 5/24/08 at 12:21 AM

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 5/24/08 at 12:03pm

I saw it with Donna Murphy and it was one of my first Broadway shows. Best show of the trip! (Better than WICKED, BOY FROM OZ, MOVIN' OUT and HAIRSPRAY)

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 12:27am

Thanks everyone for your replys

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 11:15am

I didn't like her interpetation at all. Especially when you try to replace Donna Murphy who has an incredible vocal range.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 12:32pm

You are aware that the woman the role was created for only had a 3 note range?

Brooke's voice was actually a better fit for the role.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 12:48pm

Exactly.

Rosalind Russell created the role of Ruth Sherwood in WONDERFUL TOWN and her songs were written for her vocal limitations -- yes, vocal limitations.

Even Harvey Fierstein can do better justice to the material than Russell ever could have.

Donna Murphy sung the score in full 'character' (hence those interesting 'character' nuances she added) as the score wasn't suited for her strengths (she's vocally triple-folds better than her material). Brooke was suited for and surpassed the limitations of her material.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 12:56pm

Yes, I am aware of those facts and love Russell's whole package (acting, singing and dancing). Her Auntie Mame is a favorite film of mine as well as Trouble with Angels I just could never get used to Sheild's performance. She, imo just didn't have the "it" factor for broadway.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/25/08 at 1:04pm

Good to hear you're one of the few who thought this as the critics seemed to have seen another performance (as their unanimous praises can attest), as well as all those people who gave a boost to ticket sales thanks to the incredible word-of-mouth and critics praises she was generating.

Also, she brought a nice surprise to the show something it never saw before until she joined the cast -- a cancellation line for good seats and a demand for standing-room-only tickets.

Interesting how they all missed the memo. Clueless fools!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/4/08 at 8:13am

Having seen the '58 TV version I think Roz is absolutely wonderful--a naturalness DOnna Murphy didn't bring to the role (though I find her version--from the clips I've seen and heard--interesting and I do love her). I could see Brooke bringing a slightly more glamorous similar quality

[gettinhep]

Posted: 11/4/08 at 2:37pm

Actually, I found Donna's interpretation a better fit for the character of Ruth. Glamour and ease are not terms that usually come to mind for Ruth Sherwood, a woman whose natural wit and intelligence has left her outside the norm in the time and place set for the show.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/4/08 at 2:50pm

I believe that Brooke performed for the 2004 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. While it's a lip-synched performance, at least you can get an idea of what she did. I don't know if those clips are anywhere on the internet, but she did perform the role for marketing purposes like Macy's.

Updated On: 11/4/08 at 02:50 PM

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/4/08 at 3:53pm

"Also, she brought a nice surprise to the show something it never saw before until she joined the cast -- a cancellation line for good seats and a demand for standing-room-only tickets."

But, BrodyFosse123, according to the info on the Broadway grosses section of this site, the show never came close to playing a sold-out week with either Murphy or Shields. The best weeks it ever had were 85.5% (early on with Murphy) and 82.2% (near the end with Shields).

When Shields joined the show, she did provide a bit of a boost to the box office, which might have been doing better had Murphy not been known to have been missing many performances (not to mention the entire last month or so of her scheduled run). But while the show may have had some demand for standing room at some performances, it seems to have never been selling out enough performances on a regular basis for there to have been substantial demand for standing room at any point.

Btw, I liked Shields probably more than I did Murphy, but neither of them seemed quite ideal for the role.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/4/08 at 4:30pm

Shields' really was sensational.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/6/08 at 5:00pm

Agreed.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 11/6/08 at 6:22pm

Shields was better than expected but nowhere in the same league as Donna Murphy's sensational Ruth.

On a seperate note, I'd love to see Christine Ebersole tackle the role.