Pure Entertainment The Talent Was So Great You Hardly Noticed The Flimsy Sets Or The Absence Of Live Musicians
“42nd Street” Monday, Feb. 19, Spokane Opera House
I never was tempted to jump up and tap-dance in the aisles - I have my dignity - but I certainly had a good time at “42nd Street.”
What’s not to like? Actually, we’ll be discussing that later. But overall, “42nd Street” is an enjoyable night of pure entertainment. I felt as if I had been airlifted directly into a 1930s movie musical, which is not a bad place to be.
In fact, “42nd Street” is based on a 1933 movie. The story is exactly the kind of fable that Depression audiences craved: A fresh-faced chorus dancer from Allentown, Pa., fills in at the last minute for the aging star. She becomes Broadway’s newest star, or should we say 42nd Street’s newest star. 42nd Street is the street that crosses Broadway to form Times Square.
This Troika Organization touring production revels in ‘30s musical gimmicks. We see enormous headdresses; bubbles floating through the air; grand processions down staircases; showgirls dressed up as coins, cupids and princesses.
At one point, we even see a Canadian Mountie singing to some milkmaids. Then he proceeds to plant a big wet kiss on - his horse.
The dancing is often a marvel to behold. The big ensemble numbers are polished and precise. Tap-dancing is the big attraction, and “We’re in the Money” is an extravagant and impressive display of this distinctly American art form.
Rebecca Christine Kupka, who plays Peggy Sawyer, the young girl from Allentown, is the show’s top tapper. She is a delight in this part, both as a dancer and as an actress exuding the innocence of a young Judy Garland. When she shows off her tap prowess, she impresses the audience as much as she impresses the legendary Broadway director Julian Marsh (played well by Robert Sheridan).
Other notable performers were Marc Kessler as the irrepressible Billy Lawlor, and Christopher Dauphinee as the wacky Andy Lee. Kathy Halenda nearly stole the show as the brassy and good-hearted Maggie Jones.
Halenda has a history of stealing shows; she did the same thing as Nancy in the “Oliver!” tour that came through town last year.
I have no quarrel whatsoever with the talent up on the stage. However, the physical production doesn’t match up. The sets, while imaginative, looked flimsy. The screen in the big “Shadow Waltz” number looked as if it had been patched. These things were relatively insignificant, since the important thing is the energy and talent in front of those sets.
The music, however, was a bigger aesthetic problem. Ten seconds into the overture, I could tell it was canned (or taped, or electronically augmented, or whatever you want to call it). A peek into the orchestra pit revealed only about four musicians and a whole bunch of electronics. No drum kit was in evidence. Notice how the reed instruments sound so much more expressive than the brass. That’s because the reeds are about the only live instruments, besides the keyboards.
Fictional director Marsh refers at one point in the show to the “25 musicians in the pit,” which shows how things have changed. A pit full of live musicians is simply too expensive for most touring companies these days.
Luckily, those standards by Harry Warren and Al Dubin still sound jaunty, even under these conditions. It’s easy to enjoy “I Only Have Eyes For You,” “We’re in the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway” and “Shuffle Off to Buffalo,” whether played live or augmented.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MEMO: “42nd Street” continues tonight and Thursday with performances at 7:30 p.m. at the Opera House. Tickets are $30 and $28; call 325-SEAT.