“A sumptuous spectacle of sequins, shuffle and song”
As the thrilling overture comes to an end, the curtain rises just enough to reveal a line of sparkling tap dancing feet … 42nd Street is back in town!
Based upon a 1930s novel and subsequent film, 42nd Street returns to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane after three decades away. The story, set in the Great Depression, tells of theatre director Julian Marsh’s (Tom Lister) attempts to put on a show to outshine all others. Marsh has to cast Dorothy Brock (Sheena Easton), an ageing former star who can hardly dance as leading lady as the production is to be bankrolled by her sugar daddy Abner Dillon (Bruce Montague).
After initially missing her audition, and attempts by would be suitor Billy (Stuart Neal) to get her seen failing, fate intervenes and a small town girl, Peggy Sawyer (Clare Halse) eventually lands a part in the chorus.
On the opening night of ‘Pretty Lady’, Peggy is pushed into Brock causing her to fall and break her ankle. Immediately sacking Peggy, Marsh then closes the show (nicely woven into the end of the first act) as he has no leading lady. The chorus intervene and tell Marsh that Dorothy is the only one who can save the show – he rushes to the station to beg her not to return to Pennsylvania.
With only a couple of days (comically condensed into about ten minutes) until curtain up, can this unknown save the show?
42nd Street is a nostalgic spectacular of a show, a delightful nod to a bygone era. Crammed with well known songs such as ‘I Only Have Eyes for you’, ‘We’re in the Money’ and ‘Keep Young and Beautiful’ the show will keep you tapping (and there is a whole lot of tap in the show!) throughout.
The sheer size of the cast makes the big production numbers such as the titular ’42nd Street’ utterly breathtaking to watch. The many costumes (Roger Kirk) are a feast for the eyes and with so many quick changes going on, credit must be given to the unseen backstage teams making it all look so effortless.
The set (Douglas W Schmidt) ranges from necessarily simple in the backstage scenes to stunning in the big numbers of the show. Design delights include the ‘Honeymoon Express’, a rather precariously placed giant mirror and the delightful dressing room set.
Randy Skinner’s choreography is, as you would expect, top notch. Tap on a scale you’ve probably never experienced before.
Wonderfully cast so hard to single anyone out, but Clare Halse’s Peggy is perfection and Jasna Ivir (as writer Maggie) is also one to watch. Shout out must go to the ensemble though, how they manage eight shows of non stop energy a week is beyond belief.
This is one big show, a classic perfectly housed in the sumptuous Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Sequins, shuffles and song – superb!
