Wonderful Town (1958 Television Cast)
Leonard Bernstein and his accomplices Betty Comden and Adolph Green take obvious delight in paying tribute to the screwball 1930s in this story of two mismatched sisters in the Big Apple. Rosalind Russell (reprising her role as Ruth Sherwood in this 1958 television broadcast) adheres to a simple credo: if you can't sing it, sell it! And sell it she does: "One Hundred Easy Ways" is still relatively under control, but on "Conga!" she lets it rip and flattens everything in her path, Brazilian cadets and listeners alike. Comden and Green's gift for wordplay shines in songs like "Ohio," while Bernstein summons boundless, bouncy mayhem. Add gems like "A Little Bit in Love" and "What a Waste" to the mix, and you've got yourself a great little show.--Elisabeth Vincentelli