Spotlight: 42ND STREET at The Gateway Playhouse

2nd Street celebrates Broadway, Times Square, and the magic of showbiz with wit, humor, and pizzazz. At the height of the Great Depression, aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer comes to the big city from Allentown, PA, and soon lands her first big job in the ensemble of a glitzy new Broadway show. Will this be Peggy’s big break and become a star?

The score is chock-full of Broadway standards, including "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me," "Dames," "We're In the Money," "Lullaby of Broadway," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," and "Forty-Second Street." 42nd Street - which received a Tony Award® for Best Musical after its premiere in 1980 and Best Revival in 2001 - has a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, Lyrics by Al Dubin and Johnny Mercer, and Music by Harry Warren.

It is directed and choreographed by Randy Skinner, who originally worked under the legendary Gower Champion. Champion directed and choreographed the 1980 smash hit, dying mere hours before the opening curtain. Skinner, who was largely responsible for the tap dances in the show (according to insiders) stepped in to carry out and ultimately take over the choreography, becoming the creative force behind its movement and rhythm.

Mark Bramble, who co-wrote the book, brought a revival of the show on Broadway in 2001 after staging and directing a reconceived version of 42nd Street in London with Skinner as choreographer. Since Bramble’s passing in 2019, Skinner naturally stepped into the role of director, faithfully preserving the show’s spirit while also evolving it for new generations of audiences and continues to carry the torch forward ensuring the splendor of 42nd Street lives on.

The creative team will also include the associate choreography of Mary Giattino - who has assisted Skinner on multiple projects - and music directed by Andrew Haile Austin.

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