Date: Fri 30-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DONNAM

Illustration: C

Location: A13

Quick Words:

42nd-Street-Gateway's-Longo

Full Text:

(rev "42nd Street" @Gateway's, 8/30/96)

Theatre Review-

Come & Meet These Dancing Feet!

(with photo)

By Joseph Longo

NEW FAIRFIELD - Get out your tap shoes Frances, Julian Marsch is putting on a

show...

So begins 42nd Street , now playing at Gateway's Candlewood Playhouse. Based

on the 1933 movie, which starred Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell, 42nd Street

opened on Broadway in 1980 staring Tammy Grimes, Jerry Orbach, Lee Roy Reams

and Wanda Richert, and ran for 3,486 performances.

With lyrics by Al Dubin and music by Harry Warren, the score is full of

favorite standards such as "Dames," "We're In The Money," "Lullaby of

Broadway," "About a Quarter To Nine," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," and the title

song. The play was originally directed and choreographed on Broadway by Gower

Champion, who directed such other hits as Hello Dolly! and Bye-bye Birdie .

Unfortunately - perhaps bittersweetly - Champion died on opening night of 42nd

Street .

The book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble is a true backstage musical. We

follow the story from auditions to opening night. The story is one that has

been used many times: A young girl from Allentown, PA, arrives in New York to

make it as an actress. She gets her big break, and gets cast in the chorus of

a new show. During out-of-town tryouts she accidentally trips the leading

lady, an actress who is past her prime, which causes the leading lady to break

her leg.

The young girl gets fired from the show, but then everyone realizes she is the

only one who can replace the leading lady (remember, this is a musical comedy

). Everyone convinces her to come back, she learns the entire show in three

days, and it is a smash hit.

Gateway's production has great choreography, great voices and suitable

costumes, but what this production lacks is direction. The script is full of

"one-liners" that just fall flat for lack of timing. Actors seem to be walking

through scenes with no sense of connection. This only makes all the book

scenes long and drawn out, and slows the pace the wonderful dance numbers

create.

As Peggy Sawyer, the young actress from Allentown, Susan Haefner - straight

from Broadway as Andrea McArdle's understudy in State Fair - is terrific. She

has the right combination of energy and small-town youthful exuberance. And

she has tapping that would make Ann Miller jealous.

Valerie Dowd as Dorthy Brock (the fading leading lady) is very good, but she

seems too young to be "past her prime." There is very little age difference

between Peggy Sawyer and Dorthy Brock.

John Sawyer hoofs and mugs his way through the show as the young juvenile,

Billy Lawlor. Also notable in the show is Jose de la Cuesta as the dance

captain, and Tracy Rosten, a cross between Shirley Booth and Ethel Merman, as

the female writer.

Disappointing is Jay Stuart as Julian Marsh, the director. His stiffness and

one-level delivery makes his two poignant speeches to Peggy meaningless and

forgettable.

The real stars of this show are the dance numbers, all executed effortlessly

and full of energy, although a couple of the male dancers do not meet the

talents of the other dancers. To see some great dancing go see 42nd Street .

For tickets and information call, 746-4441 or 888/4-TIX-NOW.