Audiences can enjoy a sparkling trip back to the 1930s at Manchester’s Opera House.
The theatre is staging the blockbuster musical 42nd Street, and what a joy it is.
The show features a host of TV stars and uplifting song and dance numbers to help warm the heart on a cold Manchester evening.
42nd Street centres around new dancer Peggy Sawyer, played by Nicole-Lily Baisden, who tries her luck on Broadway and manages to get a role in new musical Pretty Lady, run by theatre director Julian Marsh, played by Michael Praed.
The leading lady Dorothy Brock, played by Samantha Womack, is only in the role because her partner, Abner Dillon, played by Anthony Ofoegbu, has put up the money for the show.
But while Dorothy has the voice of an angel, she can’t dance and therein lies her downfall.
Many of the comic moments come from Dorothy trying to dance while surrounded by a group of tap-dancing girls. She takes a tumble and has to be replaced in the show. She is also seeing Pat Denning, played by Oliver Farnworth, on the side, which doesn’t endear her to the theatre and show management.
The writers and producers of Pretty Girl, Bert Barry, played by Les Dennis, and Maggie Jones, played by Faye Tozer, also add to the comedy element.
The real highlight of the show are the outstanding dance numbers.
The dancers really excel themselves and the coordination and timing of the ensemble are outstanding.
Throw in the exquisite costumes and art deco sets and you have a show which is a real throw-back to 1930s’ Hollywood glamour.
42nd Street is a joy from start to finish and is definitely a show to catch this autumn.
It runs at the Opera House until Saturday, October 21.
review by Lisa Burns
