42nd Street 2001 Revival

[bwayphreak234]

I have been listening to my cast recordings of 42nd Street, and out of curiosity I went and looked at the grosses for the most recent Broadway revival. My question is how did this revival do so well? It ran for over 1,500 performances and pulled some great numbers AND it was in one of Broadway's biggest theatres. Don't get me wrong, I love the show and everything, I just think it is interesting that it did so well considering there were big names and got mixed to positive reviews. Any thoughts?

[CATSNYrevival]

Wasn't there some stunt casting toward the end? There were some "names."

[CapnHook]

A well-known title for the tourists (even if they had no clue what it was about). A Broadway "staple" of a show. Tourists have heard of 42nd STREET and CATS and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Plus, the marketing for the show was GREAT. They opened 42nd STREET at a theatre ON 42nd Street. And please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't this the first show to take the theater after it was renovated and renamed the Ford Center for the Performing Arts?

The images from the show were unbelievable. GREAT stage pictures that were photographed well. Made for great advertising. Made the show universally appealing.

[CATSNYrevival]

^It's probably another show like Cats and Phantom where the tourists don't necessarily need to know English to enjoy it. The plot is very simple and there's lots of dancing and flashy sets and costumes.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

I enjoyed this revival quite a bit. It was nothing groundbreaking, but it was very enjoyable. The opening few seconds sent chills down my spine every time I saw it. The curtain lifted just a foot or so off the ground to reveal the entire ensemble tapping. It was good-old fashioned entertainment with a capital "E." For better or worse.

[AEA AGMA SM]

"And please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't this the first show to take the theater after it was renovated and renamed the Ford Center for the Performing Arts?"

That theatre was called the Ford Center since it opened with Ragtime in early 1998. 42nd Street was the third show to go in there, with the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar in between it and Ragtime.

At the time the show was a spectacle without anything to compete against. The size of the cast and the physical production made it arguably the biggest show around at the time. Combine that with the fact that shortly into its run you had 9/11 happening and audiences were just looking for some feel good escapism, which 42nd Street was able to supply by the bucket load.

[bwayphreak234]

What renovations were done to the theatre in 2005 for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? I read somewhere that the theatre was renovated before Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...

[themysteriousgrowl]

I've repeated this story a few times here before, but as one of the Dodger producers of this show told me during its run -- and I paraphrase -- "It's sh!t. But you ain't never seen so much sh!t onstage in your life."

[Musicaldudepeter]

All I know is Christine Ebersole was NOT a leading actress in this revival, and should have been petitioned as featured for the 2001 Tonys... Didn't stop her winning, but she won the wrong award imo.

[EponineAmneris]

I saw this and LOVED evey second. Thrilling, well cast and gorgeous to look at The dancing wasn't too shabby, either

[PalJoey]

The opening was thrilling, as were the "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," "We're in the Money" and "42nd Street" numbers

[DottieD'Luscia]

I loved this revival and the huge stair case in the title number. I also liked they added a number for Peggy in Act 2 (Plenty of Money and You). Also loved the turntable used in Keep Young and Beautiful.

The opening number got me every time. I saw it several times and saw Kate Levering, Meredith Patterson and Shannon O'Brien (u/s) as Peggy. The one person I had wanted to see was Nadine Isseneger.

I also think Christine Ebersol was nominated in the wrong category and was disappointed that she won over Marla Schaffel.

[rosscoe(au)]

As for the curtain opening to see the tap dancing feet, was that always how the show opened or was it done for this production?

[Musicaldudepeter]

It just baffles me as to how people think Dorothy Brock is a leading role in this show. Peggy is the character around which the plot revolves. She becomes the star eventually, and she is the leading female role (no matter how many scenes or stage time or lines she has!!). Dorothy Brock is a supporting character and should have been petitioned as a featured actress role since she is coming and going during the show, and doesn't have a leading presence in the plot. Ebersole deserved the Tony, but the Featured one, and this would've made sense too, since Cady Huffman should definitely not have won the Tony for playing Ulla in The Producers. Not an award worthy performance or role.

[nealb1]

I loved the revival. It was 1 big, splashy production number after another. Shirley Jones & Patrick Cassidy did go into the show near the of the run.

Nadine Isseneger was fantastic as Peggy Sawyer. I saw her quite a few times in the show, as well as the closing performance, and each number stopped the show - it was like a rock concert.

[Mister Matt]

I also think Christine Ebersol was nominated in the wrong category and was disappointed that she won over Marla Schaffel.

I agree 100%. Unfortunately, the category is determined by the billing of the performer instead of the size or prominence of the role unless petitioned otherwise. It was such a shame Schaffel lost out on the award for her stunning performance.

The 2001 revival of 42nd Street was one of those rare instances where the revival topped the original production. It was sensational. I only wish I could have seen it more than once. I loved every second of it.

As for the curtain opening to see the tap dancing feet, was that always how the show opened or was it done for this production?

I believe it was the same in the original as well.

[nealb1]

Yes, the opening curtain on all those tapping feet was how the show was first done, and has been done ever since. The cast of the revival was so large, and it was so impressive to see all those dancing feet when the curtain first came up.

[broadwayguy2]

One of the fantastic 'tricks' to that opening was a mirror the full width of the stage just upstage of the dancers that doubled the number of tapping feet and was then flown out with the curtain.

Honestly, it was a stellar production. Even the smaller tour - which starred Mara Davi and Kyle Dean Massey. You had a big, elaborate, glamorous show, the giant 42nd Street logo on 42nd Street and an ad campaign where they could photograph nearly any moment in a lavish production and have a billboard worthy shot.

Did anyone else see the production of 42nd Street that just closed out at the Engeman Theater on Long island? It was directed by Mark Adam Rampmeyer, who was the hair supervisor on the 2001 revival, and choreographed by Mellisa Giattino, who was in the ensemble of the revival. The cast had Patrick Ryan Sullivan, a long time Julian Marsh in the 2001 revival, as Julian, Nikki Della Penta (also of the revival) as Lorraine and Elise Kinnon (of the revival's 2007 Asia tour) as Anytime Annie. Christianne Tisdale was their Dorothy Brock.

[morosco]

~edit~ broadwayguy2 and I must have had the same thought and posted at the same time. :)

The cast of the revival was so large, and it was so impressive to see all those dancing feet when the curtain first came up.

That was a huge cast in it's own right but it looked even larger during the opening moment because when the curtain rose up just enough to reveal those dancing feet, they were multiplied by 2 with the use of a stage wide mirror that was immediately upstage of the dancers. The mirror quickly flew out just ahead of the main curtain flying all the way out. A neat trick. If you knew about the mirror you would have noticed that half the feet were a reflection and they faced upstage.

[FANtomFollies]

I had the misfortune of seeing Shirley Jones in this....one of the absolute WORST performances I've ever seen (or heard) on a stage, anywhere.

[Jonwo]

Did it not recoup despite running for over 3 and a half years?

[MrMidwest]

Life begins when you get your guy all alone..

[Ghostfan2]

I saw the original back in the 80's when I was young and the revival twice.....loved it.

[nealb1]

No, it never did recoup.

[broadwayguy2]

Yes, morosco.. we were on the exact same wave length!

[bwayphreak234]

I think it's awesome how this show broke the million dollar mark on the last week, and played to packed houses!! I saw the non equity tour a few years back and it was terrible. It had pretty much none of the sparkle and magic of what was onstage at the Ford Center (I'm guessing that is). I absolutely love the show though.