42nd Street at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Correct. I am 5' 11" but those seats are a steal for anyone. You don't miss anything. I sat there on Saturday, amazing view!

Brilliant, thanks folks. I'm usually a stubborn front-row-of-circle person but can't resist the lure of £25 tickets!

If it can afford a Cast Recording, they must be able to afford it with the ticket sale money coming in surely to justify it? Even at half capacity, it still is the same amount of people in an average size theatre, so it cant be doing too bad?

I'm just glad we are getting a recording of this cast, especially Sheena who really does excell with her vocals unsurpringly of course!

Just to report that I paid my eighth visit to 42nd Street tonight in A24. Philip Bertioli was on as Billy but otherwise it was the full first cast, and Jae Alexander was conducting (and smiling beautifully). The thing I concentrated on tonight was how complex all the main dance routines are with a huge variety of tap steps, movement and groupings as well as knock-out costume changes within some of the big numbers. We also have ballet dancing used for comic effect in 'The Shadow Waltz' and some slightly more serious toe-work in the mirror section of 'Keep Young and Beautiful' within the 'Dames' sequence. The almost throw-away tapping in 'Go into your dance' is delightful (Clare does a lovely jetée that you have to be paying attention to catch, the waiters who tap on and off to shift the table and chairs are fun, and of course we have all the other big production dance numbers jam packed with amazing tapping including the opening rehearsal number, 'We're in the money', 'Lullaby of Broadway', 'With plenty of money and you', the staircase part of the finale and then the encore back on the flat stage with Clare, no longer a youngster but now a real star, leading the company and filling the whole stage by herself with things like her circuit of whirlwind spins like a prima ballerina in a Petipa ballet but continuing to tap as well! In fact, I had a really crazy fantasy that the whole show was really Petipa meets Busby Berkeley meets George Balanchine! The dancers never seem to tire and the energy level is astonishing. And I was entirely satisfied with the ending! I know I am not alone in my response to this wonderful show but I just want to share my continuing happiness every time I see it. And all still for £15!

Well, second time for me tonight. Took my dad after I’d seen it in June. Absolutely bloody magnificent. Sat second row stalls and was just bowled over by it all again. Sheena Easton is a powerhouse and totally wonderful, and I was impressed by Tom Lister as Julian Marsh, who I didn’t see last time (he spits a lot when he sings though!!) Jasna Ivir is fabulous, and sort of covers up how poor Christopher Howell is. And that ensemble are the best currently on the WestEnd.

But still, the star of the show is Clare Halse. That girl does tap like I’ve never seen. Honestly, she’s a marvel, and I never took my eyes off her for a second when she was on stage.

It’s visually exciting and thrilling, and got the standing ovation it deserved. Well deserving 5 stars from me.

And don't forget the sensational orchestra under Jae Alexander playing those brilliant arrangements of some terrific songs which is perfectly balanced internally and also with the voices. And all that before the singing, dancing and acting starts! I can report that Greg Bernstein plays a much better Bert than Chris Howell although he looks rather young.

Adding a post script to my comments about the dancing that I made in my previous post, the solos that Billy does on top of the big silver dollar in 'We're in the money' and the one that Peggy does on top of the two pianos in 'With plenty of money and you' are like complete shows in themselves, the way both dancers create a whole aural composition with the clarity and complexity of the sound of their tapping. I wasn't exaggerating when I mentioned those famous choreographers Petipa and Balanchine in my comments because IMHO the pleasure afforded by the dancing in 42nd Street is in its own way just as complete and artistically satisfying as is afforded by the technically demanding classical dancing in ballets like La Bayadere or Don Quixote or Symphony in C. How lucky are we to be able to see this incredible show every night if we wish!

It must be making some form of money. The show is expensive as hell, yet they still have enough to keep them there, throw out a cast recording and continue to promote it. Its been packed the three times I have been there (May midweek, July midweek and November weekend). I don't really see any major discounts online either. And even though TodayTix add rush seats throughout the day, which do the job of getting people in, its still £25 a person. So some form of money is being made here to keep it open, or it would of closed or announced a closure by now.

Mr Alexander was having the time of his life tonight - and the orchestra was thrilling to listen to - I did honestly mean to mention him but was typing one handed on the train home!

Recording out soon

Before Xmas