What a show! I went into 42nd Street having no
idea what it was about but assuming that because it was running at a big
prestigious theatre like the Theatre Royal Drury Lane it must be a good show
and yep, it really was! I'll start by saying, if you're in a hurry you don't
even need to read anymore, just go and see it. You won't be disappointed and
contrary to what you might believe it's not just for women. My husband loved it
too. If you're a fan of musical theatre then it is for you.
From the start this show is spectacular and it's
not just one thing that marks it out as exceptional. There's a large cast and a
lot of variety. The singing is superb, the dancing is amazing, there are
beautiful glittery costumes and the scenery will blow you away.
I don't think it has the strongest story line
out of the many shows I've seen but the story felt secondary to the glamour and
glitz of the production and that was OK. The show opens with us seeing the
chorus line being cast for a new big-money show called Pretty Lady, that will
open in Atlanta. The show is being bank-rolled by a rich businessman and for
his investment he expects his mistress Dorothy Brock to be cast in the lead
role. This frustrates the esteemed director Julian Marsh but he goes with it
through no other choice. Dorothy Brock is doing a great job with the singing
and the dancers keep her dancing inabilities well hidden but then the new girl
from out of town, Peggy Sawyer trips her up accidentally and Dorothy ends up
with a broken ankle. No more lead role for Dorothy!
Then lucky for Peggy the cast have all taken a
shine to her and despite her being a bit clumsy and lacking in social
etiquette's she ends up with the lead in the show. But with only a couple of
days to learn all the songs, dance routines and words it is a very tough order.
Peggy is on the verge of exhaustion when Dorothy arrives to see her and gives
her great advice and her blessing to play the part, as she herself has married
her true love and isn't bitter anymore. The end of the show is of course us
seeing the final performances from the fictional Pretty Lady show and wow, you
won't be disappointed.
We were lucky enough to catch a performance
where Sheena Easton was playing one of the lead roles, that of Dorothy Brock
and as someone who loved Sheena when I was just a girl it was wonderful to hear
that her voice has gone from strength to strength. I felt shivers as she sang a
number of times. Her voice is rich and full of depth that really adds a
something special to the show.
I had wondered if I would know any of the songs
in this musical but as each song started I realised I new most of them. There
are such classics as Lullaby of Broadway, 42nd Street, We’re in the Money and
Shuffle off to Buffalo and they are just wonderful. There are touching raw
performances, comedy duets and all cast spectaculars.
I really loved that this show felt like one I
could take my 10 year old daughters to. It is very wholesome and full of the
feel good factor. There were strong themes of following your dream, of hard
work leading to success and of the underdog prevailing. Yes, I'll acknowledge
the show did seem to suggest that the older leading lady (Sheena) was past her
best but I think her performances proved otherwise.
Overall we had an amazing time at 42nd Street
and it is a show I'd happily recommend to anyone. We booked our tickets via the TodayTix app and paid just £25 each for what they call rush tickets, which means you can get great seats on the day. We were in row H34 and H35 and I could see perfectly in 34 but my husband had a slight restriction in 35 but still they were excellent value tickets.
Images: all from the 42nd Street official website as of course you can't take your own
Why not in this post for later?
Why not in this post for later?
Disclosure: None necessary as we paid for our own tickets.
