Weston Playhouse to Present Classic Musical 42ND STREET, 8/1-24

While the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal continues to rock the Weston Playhouse (thru 7/27), and the tender new musical Loving Leo captivates audiences at the Rod & Gun Club (thru 8/4); yet another busload of talent has pulled into town and invites you to "come and meet their dancing feet." The feel-good Broadway favorite, 42nd Street, kicks off August with glitz and glamour on The Playhouse stage (8/1 - 8/24.)

This Tony-winning musical extravaganza follows Peggy Sawyer, an aspiring chorus girl, as she realizes her dream of opening in a big Broadway musical, only to find herself thrust into the spotlight. With nostalgic favorites like "We're in the Money," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," and "Lullaby of Broadway," and a cast of 20 (!) tap-dancers, 42nd Street will lift your spirits and bring back fond memories of Broadway's Golden Age.

Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and a subsequent 1933 film adaptation, the 1980 Broadway production, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, focused on the efforts of famed dictatorial Great White Way director Julian Marsh to mount a successful stage production of an opulent musical at the height of the Great Depression.

The Weston production is under the direction of Tim Fort, who with Steve Stettler and Malcolm Ewen, are celebrating 25 years as the artistic trio at the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company. Twenty five years ago, they brought 42nd Street to the Weston stage. They are delighted to be doing so again.

The stellar cast includes Weston favorites and veterans of Broadway David Bonanno (Julian Marsh), Susan Haefner (Dorothy Brock), Allen Kendall (Berty Barry), Dorothy Stanley (Maggie Jones) and David Benoit (Abner Dillon). Weston newcomers include Julie Kavanagh (Peggy Sawyer), seen in the National Tour of La Cage Aux Folles, and Jeffrey Pew (Billy Lawlor), fresh from the National Tour of Billy Elliot.

Joining Director Tim Fort in bringing the production to stage are Michael Raine (choreographer), Larry Pressgrove (music director), Howard C. Jones (scenic designer), Karen Ann Ledger (costume designer), Erin Kennedy Lunsford (wig and make-up designer), Jack Mehler (lighting designer), Ed Chapman (sound designer) and Melissa M. Spengler (stage manager).

Performances of 42nd Street run August 1 -24 at the Weston Playhouse, 12 Park Street, Weston. Tuesdays - Saturdays at 7:30; Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2:00; Sundays at 3:00. Tickets can be purchased at The Playhouse Box Office, by telephone at (802) 824-5288, or online at westonplayhouse.org

Photo by Stuart Duke