28th August 2023, MK Theatre
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hey, theatre lovers! Today I'm going to share with you my thoughts on the classic musical 42nd Street, which I had the pleasure of watching last night at the Milton Keynes Theatre. If you're not familiar with the plot, here's a quick summary:
42nd Street is set in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, when Broadway was struggling to survive. The show follows the backstage drama of a new musical called Pretty Lady, directed by the tyrannical Julian Marsh (Michael Praed) and co-wrote and producer Maggie Jones (Faye Tozer). The leading lady is Dorothy Brock(Samantha Womack), a fading star who is dating the wealthy Abner Dillon (Anthony Ofoegbu), the show's main investor. However, Dorothy is secretly in love with her old vaudeville partner, Pat Denning (Oliver Farnworth), who is being pursued by thugs hired by Abner. Meanwhile, a young and naïve chorus girl named Peggy Sawyer (Nicole-Lily Baisden) arrives in New York with dreams of becoming a star. She accidentally bumps into Billy Lawlor (Sam Lips), the male lead of Pretty Lady, who takes a liking to her. Peggy also impresses Julian with her dancing skills and gets a spot in the chorus.
Things get complicated when Dorothy breaks her ankle on opening night, and Julian decides to replace her with Peggy, who has only 36 hours to learn the lead role. Peggy is overwhelmed by the pressure and runs away, but Julian convinces her to come back with his famous speech: "You're going out there a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!" Peggy manages to pull off a stunning performance and becomes a sensation, while Dorothy gracefully accepts her fate and reconciles with Pat. The show ends with a spectacular finale of the title song, "42nd Street", featuring the entire cast taping on a giant staircase!
This version does have a major change, with the opening having the Curtain up and the opening audition being seen for all, rather than the previous versions having the Curtain open just enough to see the feet of the cast.
The casting was perfect but the stand out had to be Nicole-Lily Baisden as Peggy. The energy in her taps and the power of her voice was amazing. I am a mega Steps fan, so seeing Faye Tozer on the stage was fantastic.
My only negative was there was one Storyline that didn't seem to get resolved or mentioned again after the 1st act, which I felt would have changed the story a lot!
42nd Street is a tribute to the golden age of musicals, with catchy tunes, dazzling choreography, and colourful costumes. It's also a story of ambition, romance, and perseverance in the face of adversity. I loved every minute of it and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good show. It's truly a West End classic that never gets old!
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