Another absolutely wonderful filmed recording of the stage show, brought to you courtesy of 'The Shows Must Go On' Youtube channel this weekend. This fabulous retro musical by Mercer / Dubin / Warren is a beautiful homage to the heady days of 1930's Broadway frenzy. The musical contains many of the songs that Warren composed around that time for shows such as 'Gold Diggers' and 'Roman Scandals' as well as original songs for the 1933 motion picture of the same name from which this musical with book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble is based.
It has Busby Berkeley style choreography (which is an absolute delight!), and has the most tap dancing in any show I have ever seen... almost every song is a tap routine, and some of them are simply phenomenal. Full credit must be given to the show's choroegrapher, Randy Skinner.
The show is one of the original and still the best 'backstage' musicals.... we see a cast and crewe reheasing a show, and the trials and tribulations that beset such an animal. In this case, the show is 'Pretty Lady' and we follow it from auditions, through rehearsals, to try-outs, and finally fame.
With such a flimsy and predictable storyline - it's 1933 and all they wanted was the production to bring on a line of beautiful dames! - it would be easy to fall into stereotypes and 'lay it on thick'. Fortunately, although this is always undoubtedly the case with musicals of this ilk, the cast were far more experienced and extremely well directed (Mark Bramble) so that they did elicit credence and sympathy from the audience. The show starred Clare Halse as Peggy Sawyer; a new-to-Broadway chorus girl hopeful, who finds that by being both in the right place at the right time, and being extremely talented she is catapulted straight to stardom. Halse played the role with just the right amount of naivety and how she managed to keep up with all the dancing requirements I'll never know.... one performance would have been possible, but the fact that she would have been doing that 8 times a week is quite frankly, both frightening and astounding!
There are some very talented co-stars, the most impressive of which were Tom Lister as the hard-nut director, Julian Marsh. The delicately balanced tightrope he trod between mono-dimensional caricature with no heart, to a man who was also very afraid and lonely, and passionately involved with the business we call show, as well as falling in love with Sawyer, was expertly handled. I also greatly admired Philip Bertioli's portrayal of the leading male role in the show 'Pretty Lady' and other love interest, Billy Lawler. The aging and untalented 'Prima Donna' whom Sawyer replaces, Dorothy Brock, was played rather surprisingly by Bonnie Langford.
This is a light-hearted comedy romance tap extravaganza about 1930s Broadway musicals. It is fast and extremely slick, and comes with production number after production number with showstoppers such as "We're In The Money", "Lullaby Of Broadway", "42nd Street", "Go Into Your Dance" and "Shuffle Off To Buffalo". A beautifully recreated show the way big Broadway shows used to be; an abolsute whirlwind rollercoaster ride through the lives and loves of those who made their living that way - and many still do!. I don't often use this phrase.. I reserve it for those truly worthy of it... this is a 'must-see' show.
Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu
on - 5/12/20
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