Dancing the Night Away

Bucks Playhouse takes you to ’42nd Street.’

By: Stuart Duncan

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Jim Lynch as Julian Marsh and Heidi Giberson as Peggy Sawyer in the Bucks County Playhouse production of 42nd Street.


   "C’mon along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway." Come back with me to the night of Aug. 25, 1980, when 42nd Street opened at the Winter Garden Theatre. The show, the audience knew, was based on an old 1933 Busby Berkeley movie. Many in the glittering opening night crowd knew the plot line — the simple tale of the chorus girl who gets the chance of a lifetime when the star of the musical breaks her ankle.
   Not much had changed in the almost half century between film and stage. A possible romance between the ingenue, Peggy Sawyer, and the director, Julian Marsh, was substituted for one between Peggy and co-star Billy Lawlor. And nine songs were added to the four that remained from the original movie. Harry Warren (the composer) and Al Dubin (the lyricist) wrote them all with such standards as "You’re Getting to be a Habit With Me," "We’re In The Money," "Lullaby of Broadway" and the title song, "42nd Street."
   It was a high-energy opening night performance, with the audience eating it all up. The final curtain drew 11 curtain calls, as well as calls for the director.
   It was then that the producer, David Merrick, stepped on stage and called for quiet. "This is tragic," he began and the audience dissolved in gales of laughter. Merrick, you see, was not noted as being a speaker of any consequence. "No, no, you don’t understand," he continued and then, with merely the briefest pause, he added, "Gower Champion died this afternoon." It was true, sadly.
   42nd Street went on to 3,486 performances — the hit Champion had always wanted — and Merrick’s last. Through the years the show has found a warm spot at Bucks County Playhouse where it has been revived again. It is a work that highlights the dancing talents of the company to perfection (and there are 29 tapping feet in this outing). There is a dynamite performance by Playhouse favorite Jim Lynch as Julian Marsh, probably his finest portrayal in years; and a "breakthrough" performance by Lauren Brader as Maggie Jones, the dramatist of the show Julian Marsh is getting ready to bring to Broadway. Ms. Brader is rapidly establishing herself as the premier comedienne of the company as well as the best actress.
   There are strong performances as well by Patrick Ludt as Billy Lawlor, Damien Bartolacci and Gabrielle Visser as Dorothy Brock. Peggy Sawyer is being played by newcomer Heidi Giberson and she needs some seasoning, both as a singer and as a dancer. Since she has just finished her freshman year at college, she will have time. As usual, in any show directed by Stephen Casey, there is enough energy in the company to light up the entire town of New Hope.
42nd Street continues at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St., through July 22. Performances: Wed.-Thurs. 2, 8 p.m., Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 4, 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Tickets cost $23-$25; (215) 862-2041; www.buckscountyplayhouse.com