42nd Street Brings Cheer to the Creek

Depression-era musical shines in Contra Costa Musical Theatre revival

In the midst of economic uncertainty, Contra Costa Musical Theatre’s selection of 42nd Street for its 2008–2009 season seems almost prophetic.

The toe-tapping musical about a Broadway production during the Great Depression is playfully optimistic: Times are rough, but dancing brings joy.  In one scene, as five dancers sit around a restaurant table, ordering one tea bag to split among them, they sing, “If you’ve a melancholy case of the blues, I’ve got a remedy for you. If you’ve an ounce of rhythm down in your shoes, then I’ll change your point of view. If you’ve been singin’ a sad and blue song… go into your dance!”

42nd Street, originally a 1933 Warner Brothers film, was made into a smash Broadway hit in 1980 and won the Tony Award for best musical—and again in 2001 for best musical revival.  It’s a crowd-pleaser, with dazzling dance numbers and many familiar songs, such as “We’re in the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” and “You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me.”

In the lead role of Peggy Sawyer, a girl from Allentown who hopes to become a star, is Courtney Iventosch, a San Jose State University graduate with a tiny frame—and a big voice.  Sharing the spotlight is Terry Darcy D’Emidio as Dorothy Brock, the dancing-challenged leading lady of “Pretty Lady,” 42nd Street’s fictitious Broadway production.  The two-time Shellie Award-winning D’Emidio delights with her perfectly timed physical comedy. And Tom Reardon, as grouchy director Julian Marsh, brings down the final curtain with a powerful solo rendition of the show’s namesake song.

The ensemble, ranging from local high schoolers to professional dancers, dazzles with big choreographed tap numbers—though sometimes the footwork isn’t perfectly crisp or synchronized. The highlight of the show is the number “We’re in the Money,” which begins with street kids finding a dime in the gutter and ends with a line of dancers in glittery green and silver, dancing with (and on top of) large dimes.

The lyrics: “We’re in the money, the sky is sunny. Old Man Depression, you are through, you done us wrong. We never see a headline ‘bout a breadline today, and when we see the landlord, we can look that guy right in the eye. We’re in the money. Let’s spend it, lend it, send it rolling around.”

Through November 8, Lesher Center for the Arts, tickets $37–$41, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek, (925) 943-7469, www.ccmt.org. 
 

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