42nd Street at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Saw this last night for the 3rd time and it's still a fabulous evening of entertainment.

First time seeing Lulu. She's... not as bad as I was expecting, but not of the same vocal quality and charisma as Sheena Easton.

Ashley Day is a great piece of casting. Not only is he gorgeous (he pretty much looks like a Sean Cody performer) and charming, he is vocally very strong.

Clare Halse has improved in my opinion - she was dazzling.

I saw this recently. It’s wonderfully staged and there are some amazing set pieces- the stair case dance sequence is incredible. Overall though, as a piece of musical theatre, I don’t think it’s all that strong. The story is so threadbare and there are only a smattering of memorable songs.
Lulu was fine as Dorothy Brock- she played the part quite well but her vocals didn’t always cut the mustard.
The rest of the cast were decent but nothing really grabbed me other than the big dance numbers.
Still, it’s fabulously shiny, colorful, loud and uplifting and I can see why it appeals to so many.

Maybe I need to listen again. I liked ‘We’re in the Money’ and ‘Lullaby of Broadway’ but I didn’t love the rest. It’s all very pleasant but for me, nothing amazing. I might give the show another try before it closes though!

I feel the reason I enjoyed this show so much the first time I went was because I purely went for the tap dancing and that allowed me to be completely swept up by it all, no the plot isn't strong (it's pretty weak in fairness) but I don't find that matters to me with this show. My enjoyment of the show has definitely grown with subsequent visits though.

Do it! You deserve it and it will be your birthday present to yourself.

'...only a smattering of memorable songs.'

What!!!!!

It's absolutely stuffed with memorable songs - in fact there's not a single naff song in it.

Oh there is - Shuffle on to Buffalo must be one of the worst songs in musical theatre!

There are some fabulous songs, particularly the title track and Lullaby of Broadway, but some of the others are not classics in the slightest!

Further to my previous rant, it has just occurred to me that those glorious dance routines that people love so much depend heavily on the songs to which they are performed. For example, the routine to "We're in the money" is based entirely on the words and music of the song, and the glorious extended production number on 'Dames' is inspired specifically by that particular song.

That's my justification for saying the songs are classics.

I'm glad that someone just mentioned Busby Berkeley and this stage production being a homage to the film of 42nd street and a good few others. it has cleverly taken all the tropes from that collection of films (and there's a brilliant box set with eight films and a ninth disc of just the musical numbers) and seamlessly woven them together (Mamma Mia was way behind this- actually the Beggar's Opera got there as the first Jukebox show). Like the ballet of Pineapple Poll you can sit there and tick off the films. I do wish there had, in the design sense, been a bit more difference between backstage, real life and 'Pretty Lady'. The design is big and flashy but doesn't really have a style. But heck, that staircase number. If you watch By a Waterfall, there's a tiny moment when one of the girls in one of the complex patterns suddenly turns the wrong way. I wonder what had happened in her day that made her lose her concentration. There's a one act play waiting.

We saw this for the third time at the weekend. (I don't normally return to shows, but we have a hoofer in the family.)

This is the first time we have seen it with all the intended cast actually on stage and it was fab-u-lous. 

Firstly Lulu. What's with all the moaning? I thought whoever cast her actually played a blinder. Dorothy is meant to be past her prime. This is referred to. Sheena's wonderful, powerful voice was just too good and Lulu, for me, was perfect in the role. She played the diva to perfection and the only song I thought a bit off was "I Only Have Eyes for You."

Clare was wonderful - we really felt a difference last time we saw the show when she was off. She's much more polished than when we saw her early in the run - not her dancing - that's always been impeccable. But her acting and comic timing have evolved beautifully.

We liked Ashley Day and also Christopher Howell as Bert. But the next day, the two who had stuck in the mind the most (after Clare) were Jasna Ivir and Tom Lister, who we thought were absolutely outstanding.

The ensemble did not quite have that wide-eyed feel of excitement of the early days and they definitely weren't as tight - the occasional adjustment as they landed and the odd bit out of time (especially amongst the boys.) But I have no doubt that anyone seeing it for the first time wouldn't have noticed. There was a full standing ovation as Clare was doing her bit at the end. The audience loved it and loads of people were to be heard singing along The Strand afterwards.

Is is just me, or does anyone else wish they'd leave that curtain suspended for 30 seconds longer at the start?

Any recent matinee dayseat experiences?