Take a trip to “little old New York” and delve into the drama and excitement of putting on a Broadway show with Mirvish Productions’ 42nd Street. Initially produced in the UK, directed by Jonathan Church and choreography by Bill Deamer, it features some absolutely incredible talent both on and off stage. 42nd Street is full of glitz and glamour, and toe-tapping songs you’ll be humming days later. A high-stepping delight, 42nd Street will certainly get your “dancing feet” moving!

42nd Street tells the story of a Broadway company in the process of rehearsing and putting on a new musical. Peggy Sawyer, a young lady fresh off the train from Allentown, Pennsylvania, is looking to make her Broadway debut amongst the company, but hits a snag or two with the lead actress Dorothy Brock. Hiccup after hilarious hiccup occurs, but finally their show “Pretty Lady” gets it’s grand opening night on Broadway! I absolutely love shows about show-biz; the jokes are so true you can’t stop laughing, and the situations they get into feel all too familiar for those of us who have self-produced in the past. Yet there is a true delight in the overall triumph of the story because we all know how hard it is, and how great it feels when all of the hard work and dedication finally pays off.

The story is punctuated by some of the most impressive dance numbers you’ll see on stage in Toronto right now. There’s something about a huge chorus all doing a tap number that sends goosebumps all up and down my arms! 42nd Street has absolutely thrilling choreography paired with some of the most recognizable songs in the Broadway Cannon.

The design of 42nd Street is, in a word, opulent. From start to finish, the sets and costumes are larger-than-life and exquisite in every way. I would give anything to know where set and costume designer Robert Jones found that much sparkly fabric; I now need my entire wardrobe of dresses to be that dazzling. I also really enjoyed how the “Pretty Lady” scrim was used to let us see the backstage shenanigans which were occurring as they were preparing for the next scene during their play-within-the-play. It gives you that feeling of being let in on a secret, and it was very well done. The design embodied the vibrancy of the time and delights us with its splendour.

The cast for this production is full of incredibly talented individuals, who are all the very definition of triple threats! Nicole-Lily Baisden gives a stand-out performance as Peggy Sawyer; she gives Sawyer a sweet countenance combined with incredible talent which makes her a joy to watch. Josefina Gabrielle and Michael Matus play Maggie and Bert, the writers/producers of the show and they are a total hoot! Their exuberant characterization light up the stage and I love that their characters wrote themselves into the show (why not, right?). Ruthie Henshall gives a fantastic performance as Dorothy Brock. She plays the diva oh so well and I loved how she plays into all of the stereotypes her character embodies. It’s easy to see why Mirvish wanted this production to come here to Toronto; the display of talent on that stage is as sensational as the story itself.

42nd Street is the kind of feel-good musical we all need right now! You’ll definitely want to see this production before it closes on January 21st! For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.mirvish.com/shows/42nd-street

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Cover Photo: The Company of 42nd Street, Original Cast, 2023. Photo Credit: Johan Persson.

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