Entertainment

Feel-good '42nd Street' taps into showbiz spectacle

Posted March 10, 2016 3:30 pm

By Scott C. Morgan

Peggy Sawyer (Caitlin Ehlinger) gets advice from her director, Julian Marsh (Matthew J. Taylor), in the national tour of “42nd Street,” which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago through Sunday, March 20. Courtesy of Chris Bennion

The new national tour of "42nd Street" gives the initial impression of a small-scale affair since the full stage window of Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre has been cropped down to a reduced proscenium arch. But once the plush curtain partially rises to reveal those iconic tap-dancing feet of the 38-member ensemble, this touring musical kicks into high gear and quickly stomps out any early qualms.

Actually, the non-Equity tour's smaller proscenium makes the production feel like an intricate jewel box bursting at the seams with talent.

"42nd Street" has always relied on cadres of tap-happy chorines and chorus boys to fuel its parade of showbiz spectacle, which is key to the smash-hit 1980 screen-to-stage Broadway adaptation of the 1933 film. And this tour delivers plenty of choreographic flash and pizzazz set to Al Dubin and Harry Warren's catchy score, featuring songs like "We're in the Money" and "Lullaby of Broadway" that were culled from 1930s Warner Bros. films.

Director Mark Bramble (who cowrote the book with Michael Stewart) and choreographer Randy Skinner have heavily modeled their work on their own 2001 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of "42nd Street," so their familiarity with the material shines through. The look of the revival is also lush, with Tony Award-winning costume designer Roger Kirk returning to add his sparkling revival costumes to the polished new work of set designer Beowulf Boritt and lighting designer Ken Billington.

"42nd Street" revolves around a talented first-time chorus girl named Peggy Sawyer (Caitlin Ehlinger), who goes on to become a stage star despite the behind-the-scenes machinations of haughty leading lady Dorothy Brock (Kaitlin Lawrence) and the manipulative bullying of the hard-driving director, Julian Marsh (Matthew J. Taylor). There's not much plot otherwise, and the elaborate show-within-a-show numbers of the fictional musical "Pretty Lady" don't make any kind of thematic or connective sense in the way that another backstage musical like "Kiss Me, Kate" could rely on familiarity with "The Taming of the Shrew" to fill in the blanks.

Ehlinger plays Peggy with plenty of charm in the mode of original "42nd Street" film star Ruby Keeler, though she shows herself to be a far better tap dancer in the added dance number "With Plenty of Money and You."

Aside from some comedy lines that don't land the big laughs, the largely young ensemble performs the material with energy and vocal ardor. This "42nd Street" tour shows that good things can come in smaller packages.

Peggy Sawyer (Caitlin Ehlinger, center) leads a company of tap dancers in a reprise of “We're in the Money” in the national tour of “42nd Street,” which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago through Sunday, March 20. Courtesy of Chris Bennion

Dorothy Brock (Kaitlin Lawrence, left) gives Peggy Sawyer (Caitlin Ehlinger) some advice while singing “About a Quarter to Nine” in the national tour of “42nd Street,” which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago through Sunday, March 20. Courtesy of Chris Bennion

The company of the fictional musical “Pretty Lady” sings “Lullaby of Broadway” to Peggy Sawyer (Caitlin Ehlinger, center) in the national tour of “42nd Street,” which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago through Sunday, March 20. Courtesy of Chris Bennion

Andy Lee (Lamont Brown, center) leads dancers through the opening tap dance audition in the national tour of “42nd Street,” which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago through Sunday, March 20. Courtesy of Chris Bennion

Chorus girls smile through the “Shadow Waltz” production number in the national tour of “42nd Street,” which plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago through Sunday, March 20. Courtesy of Chris Bennion

“42nd Street”

★ ★ ★

Location: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000,

broadwayinchicago.com

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (also Sunday, March 13), 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (also March 16); through Sunday, March 20

Tickets: $16-$82

Running time: About two hours, 30 minutes with intermission

Parking: Area pay parking garages and limited metered street parking

Rating: For general audiences, though it includes sexual innuendo

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