Review: Come On Along to 42ND STREET at Broadway At Music Circus

Glamour, glitz, and gams galore! You’ll get this and more with 42nd Street, which opens up the 72nd Broadway at Music Circus season. This love letter to Broadway actually didn’t start there. It took over forty years after the film was released to be made into a Broadway musical. It made its debut at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1980 and won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Musical.

It returns to the round after fourteen years, with mesmerizing choreography by John MacInnis and gorgeous costume design by Johanna Pan. This group wastes no time in capturing our hearts. The fast-paced opener, “Audition Number,” shows off the impressive tap talents of the company and sets the tone for the rest of the show. These performers have come to render us speechless, and they succeed. With hit after hit, from “Getting Out Of Town” to “Dames” to “We’re In The Money,” the ensemble’s energy and athleticism is unmatched. It’s truly a treat to witness.

Our favorite ingenue, Peggy Sawyer, is played by Halli Toland, who was last seen at Music Circus in 2022 in Something Rotten! Toland expertly develops from a naïve Broadway newbie into a confident triple threat while maintaining her sweet small town charm. Julian Marsh is the director giving her her big break in his show, Pretty Lady, and is played by Ben Crawford. Crawford’s voice is my favorite in this show. I’m reminded of the Phantom every time he sings, particularly in the classic “Lullaby of Broadway.” Another beloved Music Circus alum, Lesli Margherita, plays producer Maggie Jones. Margherita’s New York accent perfectly complements her nervously brash and bossy character. She’ll do anything to get her show launched, including sucking up to wealthy Abner Dillon (Ron Wisniski), who will bankroll the production if his girlfriend plays the leading lady. The lady in question is aging star Dorothy Brock, played by Christina Acosta Robinson. Robinson is quintessential old Hollywood: elegant, refined, beautiful, and utterly spoiled. Her voice is captivating, particularly in the beautifully melancholy “I Only Have Eyes For You.” Her younger leading man, the illustrious Billy Lawlor, is played by Christian Probst. Probst is energetic, spunky, and just the right amount of naughty. Every single member of the large cast is fantastic. It’s a thrill to watch them perform with such joie de vivre – it's contagious.

I say it every summer, and I’ll say it again. Broadway at Music Circus is my favorite place to be. You get so much more than a show. The feelings of joy and community stay with you long after the last bow (the popcorn is really good, too). I’m so glad to start the summer with their brilliant rendition of this beloved show. 42nd Street is all the glitz and glamour of Old Broadway wrapped in a shiny, spectacular, toe-tapping package.

42nd Street plays at Broadway at Music Circus through June 16th. Tickets may be found online at BroadwaySacramento.com, by phone at (916) 557-1999, or in person at the Box Office at 1419 H Street in Sacramento.

Photo credit: Kevin Graft

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