Dancing Feet Abound in Beth Tfiloh’s ‘42nd Street’

Matthew Trulli and the cast of '42nd Street' Photo by Diane M. Smith

You can always count on Artistic Directors Diane M. Smith and Evan Margolis finding a challenging musical for the annual Beth Tfiloh Community Theatre summer production. In the classic musical 42^nd Street under the meticulous direction of Ms. Smith, BTCT met that challenge and then some. An energetic and talented cast from the Baltimore area performed at a high level and produced thunderous ovations from the audience throughout.

With music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin and a book penned by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, 42^nd Street captured a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1980. The Broadway revival in 2001 also won the Tony for Best Musical, and for good measure the London production netted the Olivier Award for Best Musical in 1984.

Based on the 1932 novel by Bradford Ropes and the ensuing 1933 film adaptation, 42^nd Street tells the feel-good story of a young tap dancing performer from Allentown, Peggy Sawyer and her journey that began as a nobody to a becoming a star. She had to endure several obstacles enroute, not the least of which was impressing a demanding Broadway director Julian Marsh as he struggled to mount a musical called “Pretty Lady” during the Depression.

It was Peggy’s involvement in this show that launched her to stardom following a freak mishap to the show’s diva, Dorothy Brock. Despite much self-doubt and lack of confidence, her talent took over and Peggy seized upon the fortuitous opportunity.

BTCT, now in its 13 year, is adroit in mounting musicals that contain other plays or musicals within.  Man of La Mancha and Pippin come to mind. The backstage musical 42^nd Street is no exception.

Well-known songs, such as “We’re in the Money,” “Shuffle Off to Buffalo,” the iconic “Lullaby of Broadway” and the title song “42^nd Street” are nostalgic to us oldsters, but the BTCT company performed so admirably that I am certain the younger audience members appreciated these classics as well.

From the opening number “Auditions”, I knew I was in for a treat. The tap dancing throughout the show sounds impressive and looks impressive as the able hoofers are clearly in sync and on point. All members of the company participate at some juncture  in which the numbers vary with slower methodical dances in some as well as high-tempo ones in others.

There are so many amazing dance selections that the choreography responsibilities were split between two talented individuals. Rachel Miller handled “Auditions,” “Go Into Your Dance,” “We’re in the Money,” “42^nd Street” and “Act I Finale.”  James Hunnicutt choreographed “Young and Healthy,” “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me,” “Dames,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Montage” and “Shuffle Off to Buffalo.” They did a splendid job in leading the cast through their paces.

The main performers are superb, and the rest of the cast back them up proficiently. As the lead tenor Billy Lawlor in “Pretty Lady,” Matthew Trulli is a standout.  A triple threat with his acting skills, dance moves and singing voice, Mr. Trulli shines. This isn’t surprising given his extensive list of credits. But what is surprising is that he has all this experience under his belt, in key roles no less, though he is a young adult.

Mr. Trulli has a smooth tenor voice that is evident in the duet “Young and Healthy” and group numbers “Dames,” “I Know Now,” and “We’re in the Money” among others.

Hanna Elliott as Peggy Sawyer plays her role well as the enthusiastic, talented but nervous chorus girl who auditioned and secured a role in “Pretty Lady” mainly through her dancing skills. She displays her melodic soprano vocals in “Young and Healthy,” a duet with Mr. Trulli who was trying to woo her early on and “About a Quarter to Nine,” another duet with Cheryl Campo playing the diva Dorothy Brock.

As Dorothy Brock, Cheryl Campo has the primary comic role in the show. Though Dorothy Brock’s best days as a performer are behind her, she remains a star through reputation if not talent. Despite her lack of dancing ability, which is crucial in “Pretty Lady,” she was signed to the lead role principally because one of her two boyfriends, Abner Dillon (David Zisow), is a financial backer of the project.

Ms. Campo's acting skills and comedic timing are top-notch.  An accomplished performer and director in local theatre, she is on target portraying the diva Dorothy Brock. She commendably demonstrates sufficient restraint so that she does not go too far over the top in the role. But she is funny!

Ms. Campo can also sing well, and that is demonstrated in the group number “You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me,” the duet with Mr. Zizso in “I Know Now” and the aforementioned duet with Ms. Elliott, “About a Quarter to Nine.”

Then there is Brian Singer who plays the harsh and impatient director Julian Marsh. This role was played by the late Jerry Ohrbach when 42^nd Street opened on Broadway. Mr. Singer, also demonstrating strong acting abilities that he accumulated through years of experience on stage, radio and television, is the thread that stitches the plot together. He delivers his lines in a clear, resonant voice to manifest his demanding nature and sharp demeanor. Yet, he exposes a soft side on occasion, which is endearing.

And as his name might suggest, he can sing, too. He starts off “Lullaby of Broadway” deliberately and with emotion as the rest of the Company joins in and builds to what is a blockbuster number. He also effectively wraps up the show with “Act Two Finale.”

Other notable members of the cast include Matthew Byrd, Ryann Reich, Eitan Murinson, Rachel Miller, Emily Signor, Carly Dagilis,  Ava Correlli, Ryan Holmes, Sharon Byrd, Emily Machovec, Julia Egan, Maytal Fleisher, Beau Smith, Taylor Fruhling, Quinn Holmes, Ryan Holmes, Rachel Murinson, Abby Ostrow and Tejal Schwartz.

A round of applause goes to Costume Design and Coordinator Lizzie Jaspan for decking the cast out in a wide array of colorful period costumes.

Set Designers Diane M. Smith and Evan Margolis oversaw imaginative scenery that was highlighted by a large screen reflecting the projection of scenes and images that adds depth to the stage. In addition, various scaffolds, platforms, turntable sets and a variety of props and set pieces provide additional quality to the production. Laura Miller and Dassi Cohen contributed to this effort, which made for good visuals.

Overall, from a technical standpoint, the production was solid including the Lighting Design by Tyrell Stanley on the day the show was reviewed, but there was some unevenness in the audio in spots, which hopefully will be addressed by the next performance.

BTCT’s 42^nd Street is an ambitious undertaking especially for community theatre considering the size of the cast and the skill sets needed to pull it off. With the capable Diane M. Smith at the helm, the talented cast and crew did so with aplomb. With only two performances left, you should hurry to get tickets to see this wonderful production.

Running time. Two hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.

42^nd Street plays August 3 and 4 at the H. Morton Rosen Arts Center located at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, 3300 Old Court Rd., Pikesville, MD 21208. Tickets can be purchased by calling 410-413-2436 or visiting the box office.