As Suzy Snowflake continues her interminable tap-tap-tapping on Chicagoland windowpanes, it’s time to turn her attention-getting acoustics into a cue to indulge in a winter escape, if only for a couple of hours.
At “42nd Street,” there isn’t an UGG boot to be found.
Instead, this latest musical theater offering from Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is Artistic Director Jim Corti’s most recent in a litany of magnificent productions offering rationale for Chicagoland patrons of the genre to tap on over to that not-so-far(ish) western ‘burb.
With an unabashed bow to others’ previous success, Paramount’s energized production is led by the same magnificent triumvirate Lincolnshire’s Marriot Theatre hired for its splendid 2010 run of this same show. Jeff Award-winner Rachel Rockwell directs the tender (some may say sappy) story of Allentown, Pa.’s Peggy Sawyer, played with spunk, personality and grace by lovely triple threat Laura Savage.
Set in Depression-era New York, “42nd Street” is the tale of Sawyer, a naïve young actress leaving her small town for the chance of fame beneath Broadway’s brightest lights. A full synopsis of the show can be read here.
As is the case with many classic musicals, the book (by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble) serves as glue to the music (by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin), including the memorable “We’re in the Money” and “Lullaby of Broadway” along with the title piece. And the music (directed by Doug Peck) showcases the dance, primarily big-number tap, led by Jeff Award-winning choreographerTammy Mader.
Paramount’s glorious ensemble, highlighted by the lovely and talented Dina DiCostanzo as Annie, illustrates why this show is seldom found on amateur stages. Professional chorus lines require extraordinary talent; if dance were easier, it would be called football.
Kudos in this production, too, go out to fabulous baritone and seasoned Chicagoland actor Larry Adams for his portrayal of producer Julian Marsh. Depicting Marsh as a firm-but-caring father figure to Savage’s Sawyer works oh so well.
Comic foils Michael Weber and Nancy Voigts as the Marsh musical’s creative duo, Tyler Hanesas cast playboy Billy Lawlor, and Catherine Lord as the aging diva Dorothy Brock are simply superb. So too are the magnificent costumes and set design, courtesy of Theresa Ham and Kevin Depinet, respectively.
“42nd Street” has been around since its 1933 movie iteration starring Ginger Rogers, Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell, and some believe the film saved Warner Brothers from bankruptcy. First staged in 1980, it ranks as one of Broadway’s longest-running musicals, taking Tonys for Best Musical and Choreography in 1980 and for Best Revival in 2001.
For North Shore residents, a trip to Paramount means a 57 minute drive from Glenview or just over an hour from Kenilworth or Libertyville. Compared to slogging down the Edens to the Loop or Lincoln Park on almost any evening and looking for parking, the commute to Aurora is a wash at worst and always less stressful.
And the tap-tap-tapping on “42nd Street” is ever so much more enjoyable than Suzy Snowflake’s.
“42nd Street” runs through February 9 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Evening shows are performed Wednesday through Sunday. Matinees are performed Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets ($36.90 to $49.90) and information are available online, by calling 630-896-6666 or visiting the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and two hours prior to evening performances.
Barry Reszel is a Libertyville-based writer, reviewer, at-home dad and executive director of the not-for-profit entertainment company Liberty Town Productions.
