"42nd Street," of course, is the 1980 stage version of the 1930s Busby Berkeley film musical that pretty much invented the genre. The mother of all backstage musicals, it centers on the trials, tribulations and (is this really a spoiler?) ultimate triumph of one Peggy Sawyer, a wide-eyed lass from Allentown who dreams of stardom. One evening she fills in for the star of the show and, as the iconic line has it, "comes back a star."
It would be silly to suggest the star here is anything other than the Harry Warren-Al Dubin score that, eight decades later, remains breathtaking in its pop craftsmanship. In the space of 90 minutes, such classics are rendered as: "You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," "Lullaby of Broadway, "About A Quarter to 9," "We're in the Money" and the title track. And because of casino-mandated trims, what may be the best tune of all, "I Only Have Eyes for You," didn't even make the cut.
But all of this musical gold would be worthless in the hands (larynxes?) of an untalented cast. Thankfully, "42nd Street" boasts one of the best ensembles yet seen in a casino book musical production. If any of the performers made a false move during a recent performance, it slipped by these eyes and ears.
In any staging of "42nd Street," at least half of the pressure rests on the usually slim shoulders of whoever plays Peggy. In this case, it's Joanna Schlitt, who defines both "spunky" and "cockeyed optimist" as she essays the role. The triple-threat Schlitt sings as well as she acts and dances as well as she sings. If there is any problem at all, it's that the blond, sharp-featured Schlitt's resemblance to Lady Gaga is a mild distraction.
