On The Town

On The Town is a musical with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based on Jerome Robbins’ idea for his 1944 ballet Fancy Free, which he had set to Bernstein’s music. The musical introduced several popular and classic songs, among them “New York, New York”, “Lonely Town”, “I Can Cook, Too”, and “Some Other Time”.

On the Town premiered on Broadway at the Adelphi Theater on December 28, 1944, directed by George Abbott and with choreography by Jerome Robbins. It closed on February 2, 1946, after 462 performances. The show has enjoyed a number of major revivals. A film adaptation was made in 1949 by MGM starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.

On the Town is the story of a 24-hour adventure in WWII New York City involving three sailors on leave from their ship. Meet Chip, Ozzie and Gabey, our all-American buddies ready to have as much fun as they can squeeze into a limited amount of time. Chip plans to see as much of the city as possible, and relies on an out-dated guide book his father lends him. Ozzie plans to meet a lot of girls, and kick up his heels. Gabey is the most serious of the three, and hopes to meet one special girl.