THEATRE REVIEW: "42nd Street" at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (New York, NY)

      In August of 2004, my mom, grandma, and I went to see the Broadway Revival of the Michael Stewart / Mark Bramble / Harry Warren / Al Dubin musical "42nd Street" at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now called the Lyric Theatre) in New York, NY.  This production of "42nd Street" premiered in 2001 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival.  






     In August of 2004, the Broadway cast of "42nd Street" included Patrick Cassidy, Blair Ross, and Nadine Isenegger.  I can understand why this production won the Best Musical Revival Tony Award.  It was lavish, the dancing was amazing, and it was like Broadway of yesteryear. 






     After the 2004 New York trip when I saw "42nd Street,"  I bought the 2001 cast recording of the musical to listen to on a road trip to Cedar Point I was going on with a friend.  I ended up listening to that cd so much over the next six months or so.  When I found out "42nd Street" was closing in early 2005, I wanted to go see it again, but in the end decided not too.  I think that was for the best.  Nothing beats seeing a musical for the first time.  In most cases that is.  








___________________




     In March of 2016,  a non-equity touring production of "42nd Street" came to the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, IL for a two-week run.  It was on one of those nights that I saw the musical.  It was true that seeing "42nd Street" again paled in comparison to seeing the show for the first time, but it was still an enjoyable production to watch.




     This production of "42nd Street" starred Matthew J. Taylor (Julian Marsh), Kaitlin Lawrence (Dorothy Brock), and Caitlin Ehlinger (Peggy Sawyer).  The cast also featured Britte Steele, Steven Bidwell, Mark Fishback, DJ Canaday, Blake Stadnik, Natalia Lepore Hagan, Carlos Morales, Lamont Brown, Bob Ouellette, Vanessa Mitchell, Sarah Fagan, and Mallory Nolting.  The scenic designer was Beowulf Borrit.  The scenic design was similar to the 2001 Broadway Revival.  It was just on a smaller scale.  In fact, it looked noticeably small on the enormous stage of the Cadillac Palace Theatre.  But somehow they made it work.



     Before seeing the show, a friend I was seeing it with looked up at the theatre marquee and said "C....lac Palace."  I chuckled arrogantly and said "I think that is just the style."  Then I looked up at the marquee too and saw that the middle letters of the word "Cadillac" weren't lit up, sort did indeed look like it said "C....lac Palace."  We then stopped in front of one of the window card posters that showed a dance scene from "42nd Street," at which point I commented that the guy in the middle looked "not right in the head."  My friend agreed and we walked on toward the theatre entrance. Ah, memories!





















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THEATRE REVIEW: "Stranger Things: the First Shadow" at the Marquis Theatre (New York, NY)

Image
       On the moderately warm afternoon of July 2nd, 2025, I saw a performance of the jaw-dropping Broadway spectacle "Stranger Things: the First Shadow" at the Marquis Theatre in New York City.  I won the ticket lottery for the performance the day before, and it became the perfect 40th Birthday present from my mom.  By that, I don't mean I received 40 gifts.  I mean that the present was in honor of me turning 40.  Incidentally, I've probably received far more than 40 gifts...    "Stranger Things: the First Shadow" is a prequel of the Netflix show "Stranger Things."  It takes place in 1959 in Hawkins, Indiana when a young Henry Creel and his family move there for a fresh start.  It doesn't take long before things go wrong.  This is a play full of amazing set designs and visual effects.  There are also frightening moments along with funny ones (occasional sad moments, too).         At the perfo...
Read more

THEATRE REVIEW: "Oh, Mary!" at the Lyceum Theatre (New York, NY)

Image
     On October 5th, 2025, Kathryn and I saw the matinee performance of the Cole Escola play "Oh, Mary!" at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City.  The play, while a comedy, is about a stifled Mary Todd Lincoln during the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  The production opened July 11th, 2024 after beginning previews on June 26th.  One synopsis of the play described it as being told through "the lens of an idiot."  Yet it's been one of the hottest tickets on Broadway for months now.  Kathryn and I were thrilled to finally see the play.      At the performance of "Oh, Mary!" that Kathryn and I saw, the cast included Hannah Solow (Mary Todd Lincoln), Jenn Harris (Mary's Chaperone/Bill), Phillip James Brannon (Abraham Lincoln, or "Mary's Husband" as credited in the Playbill), Martin Landry (Mary's Husband's Assistant/Kyle), and James Scully (Mary's Teacher).  The cast was amazing.  The entire show was e...
Read more

THEATRE REVIEW: "Beetlejuice" at the Palace Theatre (New York, NY)

Image
      On the afternoon of Saturday, November 1st, 2025, I saw a performance of the musical comedy "Beetlejuice" at the Palace Theatre in New York City.  While I first heard of this musical in 2018, when it had its World Premiere Engagement in Washington D.C., finally seeing it felt like seeing a brand new show.  However, this was the third time "Beetlejuice" was performing on Broadway.  While the first two times were official Broadway Productions of the show, the production I saw at the Palace Theatre was technically the North American Tour, and New York City was the tour's final stop.  After the tour closes in early January of 2026, the next big production of the show will be in the West End, also in 2026.        Before seeing "Beetlejuice," I felt a sense of trepidation because I heard the humor in the show was pretty inappropriate at times.  The most inappropriate musicals I had seen prior to "Beetlejuice" were "Silence...
Read more