Direct your feet to ’42nd Street’
By Juliet Schoen/Staff Writer
When you leave “42nd Street,” the gaudy musical playing at the Ahmanson Theatre through Aug. 21, you will not only want to hum the tunes, you will want to tap your feet. The show is delightfully infectious and spells “Broadway” in every aspect. The production numbers, one after another, are spectacular and keep you entertained.
This show is based on the 1933 movie that featured those incredibly camera-ready dance scenes by Busby Berkeley. The musical made its New York debut 20 years ago, winning innumerable awards, and now this version has received the Tony as best revival of the year. The story about the making of a show where the star must give way to the talented newcomer probably dates back to the golden age of Greece, but who cares! This is the most fun one can have in the theater.
Although the musical is headed by a sterling cast, the real stars are the hoofers. If they were in the Olympics, they would easily win a “10” for synchronized tap dancing. They perform to a glorious score of golden oldies with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin. Among the favorites are “You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me” and “I Only Have Eyes for You.” Whether or not you remember the movie, you will be impressed by the ingenuity of the new choreography of Randy Skinner. (The late Gower Champion did the original direction and dances.)
It’s always a delight to witness numerous scene changes, especially if there are spectacular costume changes as well. Douglas W. Schmidt is credited with the scenery design and Roger Kirk dreamed up a stunning array of costumes.
Dressed to the nines and looking every bit the Broadway prima donna is the elegant Blair Ross, who discovers that “break a leg” is not very lucky if the show must go on. The ingénue who takes her place and taps her way to stardom is Catherine Wreford. Julian Marsh, the formidable martinet in charge of whipping the actors into shape, is played with stern charm by Patrick Ryan Sullivan. Patti Mariano and Frank Root play the writers of the play, who provide the horseplay and humor. Robert Spring, the male lead, Dexter Jones and Darren Kelly are all excellent in their respective roles.
The “real” director is Mark Bramble, who deserves a Tony for putting it all together.
There is not a misstep in the entire production