42nd Street

42nd Street       

Book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble

Lyrics by Al Dubin and Johnny Mercer

Music by Harry Warren

Directed by Iain Douglas and Elaine Johnson

Choreographer – Elaine Johnson

Performed by Toads Stage Musical Company

At The Princess Theatre, Torquay on Thursday 11th July 2024

 

It does seem impossible to think that 42nd Street only premiered in 1980. It certainly has the feel of a show that has been around for years such as Hello Dolly and Me and My Girl. A feel- good storyline of  ‘girl done good’ with incredible, a memorable toe-tapping numbers and a fast-paced score is not always the choice of amateur societies but my goodness this company rose to that challenge fabulously and some. This was a cracking production and I felt privileged to review it.

As the overture began from a fourteen- piece orchestra who produced a magnificent sound, the curtain rose slowly and we see twenty-three sets of feet, tapping in unison, rehearsing backstage.  With a huge space for the actors/dancers to use, the hired set worked perfectly. Consisting of a brick façade at the cyclorama and a raised platform area with a set of steps with railings on either side, it gave the director differing perspectives to play with when setting the backstage scenes. More of the set later.

This was a production that began with a bang and continued to impress the audience. The standard of acting, singing and dancing was exceptional throughout and there was not a weak link within this talented cast. Peggy Sawyer was a triple threat with a beautiful tone to her voice, super tap-dancer and natural actor. Her character’s timidness which grew into confidence was believable and her stamina when dancing at such a pace whilst singing during ‘We’re in the Money’ and ‘42nd Street’ was remarkable. The actor playing Billy Lawlor has such stage presence, his tapping duet with Peggy ‘You’re Getting to Be a Habit’ and ‘Dames’ was just lovely. His loveable character was heart warming indeed. What a tap-dancer too!

Julian Marsh is a famous and powerful Broadway director whose character has little charm but warms to Peggy. Portrayed by an actor who knows the ropes, his speech to the cast of Pretty Lady was delivered well , as was ‘Lullaby of Broadway’. A confident performance. As was that of Maggie Jones, who, with her fabulous voice and presence, punched out her dialogue with a feisty New York accent, especially in ‘Shuffle off to Buffalow and Go into Your Dance’. She worked well with the actors playing Annie, Phyllis and Lorraine. This trio of actors had to work very hard, as they were in almost every chorus number along with their individual scenes. All three had strong voices and were superb dancers. Along with Andy Lee, the Pretty Lady dance director, who had a great accent and is a stunning tap dancer and Anytime Annie who made you laugh out loud.

The beautiful presence of Dorothy Brock on stage gave such a different aspect to this fast-moving show. A statuesque actor, who looked utterly amazing each time she stepped on stage was the epitome of a star and played this role perfectly. With a voice I would give my high-teeth for, powerful and captivating, she delivered her numbers with ease and was lovely to watch.  Pat Denning, Dorothy’s love interest, gave us a gentle portrayal as opposed to the combative Dorothy. In this case, opposites did attract. Abner Dillon gave a genuine performance and was nicely southern.

Bert Barry, author of Pretty Lady, alongside Maggie, made us laugh in ‘Shuffle off to Buffalo’ with  Annie and Mac, the stage manager, could be heard with his booming New York accent.

The quality of singing produced by this cast was remarkable and the company had obviously been worked hard during rehearsals by their MD, Simon Carter. The orchestra were impeccable under his baton.

There are so many notable touches to this production, such as the waiter’s removing stage props as they tap dance off, the rehearsal pianist checking her musical notes on the keys whilst dialogue continues, the projected clock moving us to Philly, shows the attention to detail taken by both Elaine Johnson (Director) and Iain Douglas.

I must give special mention to the standard of choreography created by Elaine Johnson. I am not a dancer but I have seen enough shows to know this was innovative and exceptional. The size of the cast and amount of dancers on stage was demanding however, her expertise and knowledge gave the company a production she should credit as one of her best.  This choreography was inclusive, allowing those who could tap, dance or move to be an essential part of this production. This was exceptional.  It also looked impressive due to the caliber of the costumes. The tapping ensemble rehearsing in 1920 ‘s wide leg pants or shorts with tied tops and blouses, hair beautifully coiffured for the time. The ensemble’s tea dresses in yellow, pinks blues and bias-cut satin dresses in the Regency Club with the men in evening suits. Peggy’s pink tea dress, white taps and pink hat with ribbon and her realistic auburn wig and Dorothy’s  brown velvet pantsuit, fur and cream T-bar, shoes into a red dress, red head-piece with a  beautiful sequined gold dress in Act 2. The men were as well-dressed, with Billy in brown trousers, striped shirt, waistcoat and then white pants, white waistcoat, blue/pink striped jacket, boater and red bow tie in ‘Dames’. And we cannot forget Abner with his  cowboy jacket, cowboy boots and black cowboy hat. ‘Hat’s off’ to the wardrobe team.

I mentioned the hired set earlier but I would also like to mention the art deco flats painted on either side , the hotel, no smoking and Regency Club signs flown in along with a beautifully pink ‘ Pretty Lady’ backdrop and the ‘Design for Living’ brightly coloured backdrop. These helped give the show such a professional look. However, a set needs good lighting design to make it sparkle. The use of backlights onto a translucent screen showing Dorothy shadow dancing with a male dancer, the front art deco footlights that changed colour to suit the scene , such as red in ‘Dames’. The blue and white lighting and gobos used in ‘42nd Street’ along with the down spots on Julian Marsh during his solo. At all times the actors could be seen and could be heard clearly even over underscore. This was expertly managed with a huge orchestra and a number of personal mics to contend with. Well done to Will Tippett and the team at The Princess Theatre for the lighting design and Dave Hart and Anthony Hutchings, the sound operators. The backstage crew and the fly operators deserve a pat on the back too as the show moved seamlessly.

I have waxed lyrical about this production and I will continue to do so. Those who managed to see this production will have walked away knowing they had witnessed something very special at the Princess Theatre.  What an exceptionally talented company who are far from amateur . They deserve every accolade and are a credit to themselves and to Torquay.

Lyn Burgoyne for Iain Douglas ( Noda Representative, District 5, Mid and East Devon)

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