WPCNR ON THE AISLE. Theatrical Review By John F. Bailey. October 2, 2009: So I’ve got my fedora back on the back of my head, a Lucky lit up, and a gimlet on the rocks by the trusty Smith Corona Zephyr portable typewriter rapping this out and the tapping from Westchester Broadway Theatre’s 42nd Street just keeps my fingers flying over the keyboard.
Shannon O’Bryan as Peggy, with Todd Lattimore as Billie Lawlor :
Sheer, Unadulterated Brilliance!
Photos, Courtesy WBT, John Vecchiola.
Coming at you — The Kids in the Line– in spectacular opening number Audition
All you “Little Nifties from the 50s” and “Sexy Ladies from the 80s” who want to meet the elite, should take the I-287 to see Westchester Broadway Theatre’s greatest production of 42nd Street which won over the skeptical Opening Night audience turning it into a thunderous appreciative crowd whose bellows of bravos, whistles and non-stop applause brought back the company for a dancing encore with its effervescent bubbly — what’s-there-not-to-like leading lady — Shannon O’Bryan, the ingénue Peggy Sawyer romping back on stage for one last fling with the audience.
From the wail of the overture from the octette orchestra bringing this fabulous old score to life with that old humdinger, Lullaby of Broadway, and jazz age classic, In the Money melodies with their toe-tapping blues to swelling ballads all the way to 2-1/2 hours later to the 15-minute all-stops-out thunderous driving, gaudy, ditzy, glitzy dazzling finale of the title song that brings the crowd to its feet, WBT’s 42nd Street is definitely “the elite.”
It features the greatest dancing “ensemble” with the best looking “Little Nifties from the 50s” WBT has ever put on the old boards. The toe-tapping rhythms and spectacular costumes say “show biz”and create the Broadway dream everybody loves to believe.
When the ensemble shouts out the news “Julian Marsh is doing a show,” one of the top 10 musicals of them all turns onto the Express Line and never slows down, as this all-star lineup of 42nd Street veteran hoofers perform Audition, all thanks to Director and Choreographer Randy Skinner, who assisted Gower Champion on the Broadway production of 42nd Street. Skinner was nominated for Tony,Drama Desk,Outer Critics, and Astaires for that production. The lighting by Andrew Gmoser makes this “42nd” WBT’s most visually dazzling production in years and that’s before the talent struts its stuff and embellishes this broadway jewel.
Tom Galantich as Julian Marsh, a characature of legendary Broadway producers, stops the show when he convinces Peggy (Shannon O’Bryan)to step in for the star of the show by singing to her of the Lullaby of Old Broadway in Act II. The set, Broad Street Station with its evocative old train station signs gives you the feel of the clickety-clack.
Ms. O’Bryan lives in the Sawyer role, having done the 42nd Street national tour all over the country, on Broadway and in Russia, has the perky, believable moxy this role demands, the energy, and show biz presence that makes you root for her.You like her. She’s cute. Desirable and innocent all at the same time, truly a “little nifty fifty.” She’s got it: the voice, just clear as a bell and belts ‘em better than Merman, pal – and she can dance.
For those would-be Broadway Babies who don’t know the timeless story. Here it goes in one Broadway sentence: Sawyer arrives from Allentown late for an audition, lands the last slot in a chorus line for Julian Marsh’s new show, and in tryouts she runs into the aging star of the show, Dorothy Brock breaks Ms. Brock’s leg – and the producer Marsh talks her into taking over the star role – the stuff Broadway dreams are made of. You know she’s going to make it—but 42nd Street makes the story of the build-up to opening night non-stop entertainment. Every girl who dreams of Broadway stardom loves this show.
Highlights—every scene is a highlight and WBT has spared no expense on this production and it shows: Todd Lattimore as Billy Lawlor — back row center, the male lead in the musical heading to Broadway, Pretty Lady, cavorts in one great costume after another. This is fabulous chorus line doing In the Money
Dorothy Stanley as Dorothy Brock and Michael Scott (Pat Denning).
Dorothy Stanley, portraying the ill-fated star Dorothy Brock has the diva mystique down perfectly – even to using her own pet dog in the show. Her plaintive “I OnlyHave Eyes for You” pining for boyfriend Pat Denning (Michael Scott) is striking. She brings her throaty, haughty contralto to focus on heart break quite believably.
Ms. Stanley,singing 42nd Street at the end of the First Act is just getting under way with this classic with a unique styling, when the accident with Ms. O’Bryan happens and boom Dorothy Brock is out of the show. The accident is well choreographed and even foreshadowed in the script and still you don’t see it coming because Ms. Stanley and Ms. O’Bryan pull it off so well. It’s too bad the accident does not happen at the end of the song because I’d love to see her full treatment of this song.
Then there are the throw-away numbers that seem in the show just because they are so much fun: Shuffle Off to Buffalo (simulating Pullman Cars, cleverly done), You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me, Young and Healthy with Lattimore and Ms. O’Bryan getting to know each other; Go Into Your Dance.
Derek Holland playing Andy Lee the chorus line boss – dances deftly with Sawyer – makes her shine – and simulates the work of whipping a show into shape with realism.
Holland, second from left, and Shannon O’Bryan, second from right, Going into their dance. Chorus line showstopper!
This is great entertainment first staged in 1980 – another era of bad economic times (remember 20% inflation, gang) – is great escapist entertainment and you’ll be tapping your toes from the first beat to the last.
I doff my fedora to that slick, good-looking, high stepping chorus line, pastry-perfect cuties and sharp-dressed-men all:
Jenna Edison, Andrew Black, Jennifer Cameron, Andrew Charter, Justine Clark, Andrew Eckert, Meghan Garstang, Jordan Grubb, Andrew Hodge, Chris LeBeau, Ashley Peacock(a real stunner), Matthew Schneider, Kelly Skidmore, Katy Wood (yes!) – never have so many costume changes been made so fast in such cramped space, so many hair irons coiffed so many 30s hairdos flawlessly fluffed and so many taps been tapped so breathlessly entertainingly.
The orchestra backed them up with the tireless nonstop play of a 30s dance-a-thon – those of you who were blowing and playing, we salute you — Jeff Tanski, Musical Director and keyboards, Adam Laird, keyboards, Ken Ross, drums, Lewis Wyatt and Ron Kozak, reeds, John Reid on that fabulous blues trumpet, Jason Ingram on the bone, Arnold Gottlieb on bass. They delivered a bigtime Broadway sound in the little bigtime Broadway Theatre.
Sets – minimalist but serviceable. I like the Broad Street Station set with the light big station windows particularly, and the big dimes in the In the Money Number. I also liked the interplay of lighting and fabulous costume colors in the over the top 42nd Street final number.It’s all good.
The show will take a break December 7, and return December 30 running to February – you could run this musical forever. It’s educational, it’s entertaining, it’s the show that says “show biz.”
To paraphrase Julian Marsh, “Don’t see this show for yourself, see it for the kids in the line.”
It’s Broadway that won’t make you feel bad. Broadway that lifts your soul and stirs those dreams of stardom you never give up.
It’s sheer, unadulterated brilliance! You won’t want to say good night til early in the morning when the milkman’s on his way.
BETWEEN THE ACTS
For tickets to 42nd Street and the rest of the WBT exciting playbill – contact 914-592-2222, or hit their website, www.broadwaytheatre.com.
WBT’s genial host, Steve Calleran also announced the WBT’s dynamite 2010 lineup: the blockbuster productions are Nine, (coming in February) Sugar (based on the movie Some Like It Hot), the Tony-winning Rent by the White Plains playwright, John Larson and Jekyll & Hyde.
I forgot to say that for the $70 for this show, WBT throws in your dinner too.
So go already1
