'42nd Street' at the Palace Theater - My Review

The tour of ‘42nd Street’ opened at Waterbury’s Palace Theater last night and the thunderous applause that filled this magnificent venue throughout the performance was only one indication of just how wonderful this “song and dance fable of Broadway” was. Seeing this backstage musical for the first time, I was glad that this sparkling production by Troika Entertainment LLC is the way I will remember it.

With a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble (based on a novel by Bradford Ropes and the subsequent 1933 film adaptation) and music by Harry Warren with lyrics by Al Dubin, this tour was directed by Mr. Bramble himself. It was originally produced on Broadway by David Merrick in 1980. The story focuses on a famed dictatorial director Julian Marsh trying to mount a successful stage production of a big musical during the height of the Depression. There is lots of backstage drama and Mr. Marsh does a lot of yelling, but it is an old-fashioned musical at its best and features an inordinate amount of high-spirited tap dancing that brought down the house.

CLICK HERE TO READ MY ENTIRE REVIEW ON ONSTAGE

Best quote of the evening for me came from community theatre vet Chuck Stango, who was in the audience with his wife Melissa. He called tap dancing “not something I do well or at all.” We both therefore appreciated the magnificent toe-tapping all the more.

There are two remaining performances at the Palace on East Main Street in Waterbury on Saturday at 2:00pm and 8:00pm and tickets are available at the box office or online I highly recommend this sparkling production.