New Girl in Town is based on Anna Christie, Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Chris, an old Swedish sailor, is ecstatic when his daughter, Anna, comes to visit him after fifteen years of estrangement. He envisions her still as his sweet, innocent, little girl, but the truth is very different. Chris’ live-in companion, Marthy, discovers that Anna is a former prostitute who has recently served time in jail. Anna has come to New York for shelter from her father, her only remaining possibility of rebuilding her shattered life.Slowly, Anna finds stability and even begins to fall in love for the first time with love-sick sailor, Mat. However, her happiness is short-lived when a jealous Marthy reveals Anna’s secret at a neighborhood ball. Rejected by Mat, Anna sets to rebuilding her life alone, until she receives a surprise visit the following year.
New Girl in Town was written as a star vehicle for Gwen Verdon and is subsequently the perfect showcase for a talented "triple-threat" performer.
New Girl in Town guide sections
