Theatre and Dance Reviews

It's true that as a backstage musical, with a chorus-girl-becomes-star plot, the story is a bit corny and highly predictable but there are some wonderful and memorable tunes including "We're in the Money", "Lullaby of Broadway", "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" and or course the title song.

St Albans Operatic Society: 42nd St

If you've ever seen a professional production of this classic show, you will know that it lives or dies by its dancing.

It's ambitious for anyone, let alone an amateur society, to pull it off with style, but this well-established company manage a highly competent rendition that leaves the audience heading off home humming the irresistible tunes and desperately trying not to tap dance in the car park!

I expected the dancing to be difficult to get right but director and choreographer Matt Fowler must have been a hard task master with his team of talented young dancers to get some pretty complex routines looking stylish and effective.

St Albans Operatic Society: 42nd St

The whole thing also looked great, with colourful costumes and wigs authentically representing the time. Some of the set changes were a little clumsy but I would expect that these will get smoother as the run goes on.

Productions like these have very little time to rehearse in their venue with the actual scenery and it is always amazing what they can achieve in such a short period.

In the same way, these are people who give up hours of their time over many months to put on a show for just one week and the dedication to what they are doing and their joy about doing it, really comes across throughout the show.

I don't really want to pick out cast members for special praise because this was a great team effort BUT Emma Harrold made a charmingly wide-eyed and innocent Peggy sawyer and Patrick Rufey's Billy Lawlor was both dashing and amiable with a strong voice that was spine-tingling at times. And John Dell did very well with Julian Marsh, making him at once an imposing director character who mellowed into a warmer, father-figure when required.

Emma Harrold as Peggy Sawyer

Emma Southorn was a feisty Maggie Jones with a very strong, mellow voice and well-timed lines. She had a touch of the Bette Midler's about her and to me seems to be a real star in the making!

This was a very entertaining evening, a tremendously feel good piece, and for me, a chance to see a classic musical that I had forgotten was so enjoyable.