Review: 42ND STREET at ARTS Theatre

Reviewed by Ewart Shaw, Friday 20th October 2023.

My theatrical wanderings this past week took me along Cyprus Avenue to a much more enjoyable neighbourhood, 42nd Street. I’ve always known that Adelaide has an active population of teachers, bus drivers, shopkeepers, mothers, and fathers, who are, in their spare time, actual demons of tap dancing.

The Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company of South Australia Inc. sent out a call and they came running, and tapping, to be part of this wonderful show. If you don’t know the story, if you’ve not seen the film, simply put, it’s the tale of a young girl who comes to New York with stars in her eyes and talent to burn. After a rocky start, she gets cast in a show and, eventually, becomes the toast of Broadway.

”You are going out a youngster but you have to come back a star”, says producer Julian Marsh to Peggy Sawyer. It’s a famous line among lovers of musical theatre, and the songs are memorable. Lullaby of Broadway has become an anthem.

Julian Marsh, who is attempting to bring life back to Broadway in depression-era America, is played by Angus Smith. We’ve never met, though the husband of a friend knows him well. I’ve admired him in many shows, in chorus parts, and leading roles, and he’s always been totally dependable and generous on stage. He gets Lullaby of Broadway and 42nd Street. It’s a prize he’s worked hard for.

Ben Saunders’s direction keeps the action flowing like champagne, but there are introspective moments, such as when Dorothy and Peggy are alone just before the opening night. Tammy Papps has a brassy band in the pit, and the blare and shine from the orchestra is first class. They do noise really well but she brings them down to accompany the voices. It’s the dancing that does it, that brings up the energy levels in a show already crackling with it. Jacinta Vistoli has watched the movie and, indeed, all those dancing movies, and made something quite splendid with her enthusiastic cast.

Sophie Schwab, as Peggy, is a ray of sunshine, with a lucky yellow scarf. Jenny Scarce revisits the role of Dorothy Brock with great commitment. She’s hard-bitten, but vulnerable, in love with one man, Pat Denning, a very capable Jay Mancuso, while her lifestyle is funded by another. That’s Barry Hill under that hat, as Abner Dillon, another sweet cameo from this stalwart of the musical stage. Liam Phillips is Billy Lawler, the love interest. He sings, dances, and acts with such talent: he should be on the stage more often than he is.

Liza Lanzi, as Maggie Jones, and Joel Amos, as Bert Barry, the songwriting duo, are entertaining characters and, alongside them, Rebekah Goodall, Emily Fitzpatrick, Barbara Nutchey, and Monique Millar tap and twirl with real Broadway pizzazz. Shelley Bowen, as the stage manager, has the right blend for the role, always where she needs to be or going where she needs to be next. Add the hard-working ensemble and this really is a great night out.

Another interesting thing about the show is its structure. The first act doesn’t end with a big chorus number. During a dance routine, Peggy apparently knocks Dorothy over, off her pedestal, maybe, and Dorothy breaks her ankle. Julian calls off the show, tells the fictional audience that they can get a refund at the box office, and then calls for house lights. When these come on in the Arts theatre, it’s the interval. In the final moments of the show, there are two parties to attend. The big party is at the Ritz but Peggy, loyal to her friends, will go to their smaller celebration. Julian recognises the genuine loving nature that she possesses and, alone on the stage, reprises 42nd Street.

Seeing this show at a superficial level and it’s great fun, but the social commentary is intriguing. We’re in the Money, and the moment I mention it you call it to mind, is sung by a group of young street kids for whom a dime is a fortune and You’re Getting to be a Habit With Me is drug addiction’.