42nd Street, Sadler’s Wells
Dames, beautiful dames! All the tap dancing. Fame 1930’s style (from a 1980 concept). That moment — dancing on giant golden coins! And somewhere in there, underneath all the dazzle and sequins are Ruthie Henshall, Adam Garcia and Les Dennis….(and soon, Michael Praed!) It also has ALL the songs setting the standard high -“42nd Street,” “We’re In The Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” and “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
Peggy Sawyer (Nicole-Lily Baisden) is a small town girl down to her last cents looking for her big break, and she gets it at…42nd Street Theatre. Whilst I’m not convinced that she can dance as well as everyone says she can, she makes up for this in charm and energy, and verve. Ruthie Henshall (Dorothy Brock) is a diva leading lady trying to keep her sugar daddy, cowboy-ish Abner Dillon funding the show sweet, whilst secretly fancying…Les Des (Bert Barry)?!!! Unfortunately clumsy (or secretly scheming) Peggy collides with Dorothy and takes out her ankle — forcing Peggy to learn all of the leading lady part in 24 hours and cover for her…on the opening night! Meanwhile Julian Marsh attempts to keep Dorothy and Bert apart, and Peggy puts her reputation on the line to warn someone about gangsters!
Wise cracking, fast paced, sharp talking, heaps of energy and full on hustle, 42nd Street is a bit minimal in glamour and dazzle. Shapes not just thrown but hurled with zip! The cast, sets and costumes aren’t as BIG or EPIC as their 1933 movie counterpart. But what it does do is make up for character and better moves for the male dancers. Adam Garcia as Julian Marsh gets everyone working 110%, Sam Lips as Billy Lawlor spots Peggy’s potential (Young and Healthy) and helps her sing and dance her way into the swing ensemble. The energy between Billy and Peggy is wonderful on stage and their romance completely believable. Whilst his scheme doesn’t quite work and Peggy leaves her coat behind, she does get taken for lunch by Maggie Jones (Josefina Gabrielle) and the girls so that they can practice some moves and “Go Into Your Dance”. Which gets her seen by Julian Marsh and given a second chance at the chorus line as Peggy is a super quick learner.
However in the chorus, Peggy is clutzy and always in the wrong place at the wrong time in the routine — perhaps it’s due to the large ornate hat obscuring her view?!!! She takes out the leading lady with a drop kick step and to save the show from closing has to take on the leading lady’s mantel to save the day! Not just this but she upstages the leading lady by joining her centre stage in some very funny mishaps! Peggy tries to leave in shame, but Julian and then the cast woo her into changing her mind with “Lullaby of Broadway”. And she changes her mind, dances back down the staircase, decides to stay and chase fame — and so Pretty Lady goes ahead and makes Peggy a star leading to the belting out of “42nd Street” on lit steps. Everyone keeps their jobs to rave reviews — hooray! Whilst Peggy is a star, she does not become a snob and still goes to the ‘kids’ party rather than her own starry stagey soiree.
Reading the synopsis I’m not sure that this plot version is quite what I saw! 42nd Street (musical) — Wikipedia It’s been very stripped back to putting on a show and kids saving the day whilst trying to make a dime, with a tremendous focus on the dancing. But it’s great and has the great songs; the dancing is exceptional! (Also some hidden social comment as Peggy faints due to lack of food and funds during her first day in the chorus line, and people can plummet from riches to rags in a second. It felt very 2023 somehow…) ‘Shuffle Off to Buffalo’ is still dodgy and problematic, but very humourous, as we watch a show within a show — not sure what it’s doing shoe-horned in a musical called Pretty Lady, apart from as an excuse to show pretty ladies in their scanties… I do love the show within a show concept, and Adam Garcia’s dashing Flynn moustache! not to mention Ruthie Henshall’s Dorothy Brock comedically battling her ostrich feather fringed sleeves as she’s trying to waft romantically and yearningly in a dramatic silhouette created by some fierce lighting techniques! And that the show must go on moment!
