42nd Street crosses Broadway at Times Square, and it crosses our path joyously at the Welk Resort Theater, just north of Escondido. It hit Broadway with a bang, garnering Tony awards for Best Choreography (Gower Champion) and Best Musical in 1982, running for an astounding 3,486 performances. Remember "We're In the Money," "Lullaby of Broadway," and “Shuffle Off to Buffalo?”
Peggy Sawyer (Nicol Werner), just off the train from Allentown, eyes aglow, gets cast in the chorus line for a new musical, "Pretty Lady." What happens next can only happen on Broadway and only once. (Well, almost! It happened at La Jolla Playhouse recently.) The star of "Pretty Lady," Dorothy Brock (Erika Amato), has an accident. Yes, you guessed it! She's replaced by tyro Peggy Sawyer. And everybody lives happily ever after.
The Welk production is excellent. Andrew Hammer's set starts at the proscenium with a splashy, lighted art deco facade. The art deco theme runs throughout the circa 1933 set. Cecilia Church's props are a perfect complement to the design. Costumer Ambra Wakefield's selection is period perfect and definitely showy. Carlotta Malone, assigned the task of shoe coordination, does an outstanding job. Jennifer Edwards’s lighting is pizzazz plus. 42nd Street requires extremely rapid wardrobe changes, since virtually every song is a production number. Kudos to a talented group of changers backstage.
Amato's Dorothy Brock is definitely harsh, rude—a typical stereotype of the spoiled star. Amato sings beautifully, countering her character's rudeness and deceit. Nicole Werner is equally stereotypical as the sweet, innocent girl trying to break into the Broadway scene. Werner carries Peggy Sawyer's naivete completely, right down to a special look in her eyes and a physical innocence that seems real. Katie Wilson plays playwright/songsmith Maggie Wilson. Her voice is pure gold.
Understudy Jesse MacKinnon played theater director Julian Marsh the night we were in attendance. The excellent MacKinnon balanced his character's gruffness with just the right amount of tenderness.
Jacob ben Widmar is romantic lead Billy Lawlor. His duet with Werner, "Young and Healthy," delights. Ralph Johnson plays Abner Dillon, Pretty Baby's backer and sugar daddy to Brock. The cast also included Katie Wilson, Kathryn Venverloh, Kelly Felthous, Laura Dickinson, Melissa WolfKlain, Erinn Selkis, Annette Desrosiers, and Cory Bretsch.
42nd Street, based on the 1933 film, is almost all song and dance. Tap rules with gusto. Director/choreographer Jon Engstrom (who was in the ensemble of the original production) along with his assistant Julie Kenyon, have created tap brilliant tap routines. The stage is alive with action as they move from production number to production number. Dance Captain Jamie Torcellini, who plays the dance captain, keeps the pace frenetic. Justin Gray's musical and vocal direction add color to the performances.
The small, very dynamic orchestra includes Justin Gray and Andy Ingersoll on keyboards, Steve Dillard and Jack Houghton on trumpets, Mike Masessa on drums.
42nd Street is an absolute must-see for musical lovers, dance afficionados, and nostalgia buffs. It is just fun.
