Writes Jamie Bernstein: “Come along!" booms the tour guide in Wonderful Town's opening number, “Christopher Street.” This 1953 Broadway show – book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and score by my dad, Leonard Bernstein – is a love letter to the dizzy, bohemian good old days of Greenwich Village, as seen through the adventures of two sisters from Ohio. All these years later, I'm inviting you to “come along!” as I retrace some of the Village spots that appear in the show, plus a few additional points of interest.
Wonderful Town was Leonard Bernstein’s second Broadway salute to New York City. As with his first, On the Town, Bernstein teamed up with his beloved pals, lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Betty and Adolph were Villagers who had made an early name for themselves as cabaret artists at the nearby Village Vanguard. Bernstein, too, lived in the Village in those early years, and often accompanied his pals at the Vanguard. Together, the trio evoked that downtown world they knew and loved -- and put it on a Broadway stage.
Not only did Wonderful Town win seven Tony Awards; it featured Rosalind Russell's immortal performance as the brainy, boyfriend-starved sister, Ruth.
To get you in the mood for The Village Trip 2026, we’ll walk the storied streets of Wonderful Town together. Come along!
Meet at Northwest corner of 14th St and 7th Ave, New York, NY 10011
4-5.30pm (assemble 3.45pm)
