The reworking of the classic musical comedy 42nd Street, which will open for previews at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in March 2017, will be ‘sensational’, according to director and co-author Mark Bramble.
Following the announcement that Grammy Award-winning artist Sheena Easton will make her West End debut in the production, playing the part of prima donna Dorothy Brock, anticipation about the show has been growing.
Speaking at the production’s recent press launch at Drury Lane, Bramble, who directed the original Broadway show in 1984, revealed further details about the staging, adding: “This production features a cast of over 50, an orchestra of 20 and 600 costumes. The 1984 show included 36 dancers, we’ve added another six.” (Fittingly making 42 dancers in total!)
When asked, ‘what makes 42nd Street such a roaring success?’, Bramble said: “It’s the theme of the show. It’s the idea that if you dare to believe, if you work hard enough and have enough talent, you can do anything you want. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, is the most wonderful theatre in the entire world. The atmosphere is instantly welcoming.”
Although the production is a reworking of a musical classic, Bramble assures potential audiences that 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal will be truly unique.
“When you do a revival, you need to shake it up, make it fresh. I once saw, in New York, a revival of the musical Mame, starring the original cast. It was so dreary and dull. I realised there is a lesson in this; you must never simply do again what you have done before. Our show has a whole new look. We’re presenting the show as an MGM Technicolor movie, there’s going to be colour splashing everywhere.
“At the moment, there are costumes being sewn in India, there are painters working on special costumes in Budapest, and there will be more beads, feathers and sequins than ever before. We’ve also added songs that have not been used in previous productions. This show features some of the greatest music ever written by American composers. We have also added a new number called ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, which will be sung by Sheena Easton.” (Not to be confused with Green Day’s punk rock hit.)
The confirmed cast are: Sheena Easton (who remains the only artist in history to have top five records on five major Billboard charts) as Dorothy Brock; Emmerdale star Tom Lister as Julian Marsh; Clare Halse as Peggy Sawyer; Jasna Ivir, who will play Maggie Jones; Norman Bowman as Pat Denning; Stuart Neal as Billy Lawlor; Graeme Henderson as Andy Lee; Christopher Howell as Bert Barry; Bruce Montague as Abner Dillon; Mark McKerracher as Mac/Doc/Thug; and Emma Caffrey as Annie.
The ensemble comprises: Clare Rickard, Victoria Hay, Leah Harris, Jasmine Kerr, Millie O’Connell, Katy Riches, Gabrielle Lewis Dodson, Daisy Steere, Karli Vale, Sophie Camble, Christina Shand, Courtney George, Zoe Rogers, Jessica Keable, Sara Bispham, Lisa Dent, Katharine Pearson, Kirsty Fuller, Rebecca Herszenhorn, Charlene Ford, Dylan Mason, Philip Bertioli, Luke George, Ronan Burns, Eddie Myles, Ryan Gover, Sam Murphy, Freddie Clements, Zac Watts, Greg Bernstein, Kristen Gaetz, Charlotte Anne Steen, Gabrielle Cocca, Kate Ivory Jordan, Josh Andrews and Martin McCarthy.
42nd Street will begin previewing on Monday 20 March 2017, ahead of a press night on Tuesday 4 April.
Polly Sisley
Tickets for 42nd Street are available HERE.
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