Love Midlands Theatre

42nd Street - QBMTS

10/6/2017

 
Picture
This 1980 musical, based on the 1933 film of the same name, is known to be difficult to stage because of the casting of the lead characters, and especially because of the amount of tap dancing needed to bring Harold Arlen’s sparkling score to life.


Quarry Bank Musical Theatre Society tackled this show with confidence from the opening curtain, rising as it does to show 13 pairs of chorine legs mid-rehearsal for the show-within-a-show Pretty Lady.

From the off Zoe Russell’s choreography paid homage to the Golden Age of both Broadway and Hollywood, with large vibrant chorus lines and also dancing patterns that made me wish there was some way to see the Busby Berkley inspired shapes from above.

The four leads are very well cast. Dominating the first half of the show – quite rightly – is the magnificent Natalie Baggott as the quite frankly monstrous Broadway diva Dorothy Brock. She possess a wonderfully engaging stage personality and a remarkable voice, full of warmth and humour. Alongside her Fleur Petford shines as young Peggy Sawyer who, at the start of the show is just desperate to obtain her first job, but grows, following an accident to the star, Brock, to assume the leading role in the show. It is a transition that Petford handles very successfully, shy and engaging at the start, and fully leading the show by the end.

As the show’s director Julian Marsh, Carl Cook is both the hard-nosed business man, but also very warm and human, and Richard Cope, as leading man Billy Lawler, demonstrates both good tapping skills and also full throated top notes reminiscent of old style leading men like Gordon MacRae and John Raitt.

Excellent comic support comes from Gillian Horner, Adrian Raybould and a raft of well-drawn supporting characters. The excellent music comes from a well-balanced 14 piece band under the expert direction of MD Richard Ganner.

One slight caveat; during the climactic 42nd Street number there is a very sudden dramatic event (no spoilers here!). However there was no narrative in the dance to lead up to and explain this event. The music certainly reminded me of the Girl Hunt ballet from The Band Wagon, and some of that storytelling would have helped to clarify this moment.

However this was a small moment in an otherwise very enjoyable evening. I was accompanied by my two junior reviewers, both dancers and musical fans. I only had to look at them regularly during the show to see that they were thoroughly engaged in the show, especially during the big dance numbers.
Richard Cope
12/6/2017 01:51:07 pm

Thank you so much for this wonderful review of our show, we had an absolute ball throughout the week of 42nd Street and your review has paid testimony to this, on a personal level you have made an old man very happy as Gordon Macrae is my biggest musical hero so thank you from the bottom of my heart !!!!


Comments are closed.

    Love Midlands Theatre

    Sharing the latest theatre news and reviews around the Midlands.

    Archives

    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    Amateur Theatre
    Birmingham
    Coventry
    Love Midlands Theatre
    Professional
    Review
    Solihull
    Stafford
    Tamworth
    Theatre
    Wolverhampton

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Contact