42nd Street

Come and meet those dancing feet! Full of backstage intrigue, romance, and exuberance, this feel-good musical will have you tapping along to the music in practically no time. Get ready to listen to the lullaby of Broadway, and book 42nd Street tickets on TodayTix.

The quintessential backstage musical, 42nd Street depicts every young performer’s fantasy: Small-town girl Peggy Sawyer journeys to New York City in the hopes of making it on Broadway. Despite the odds, she manages to land a part in the chorus of a new show, Pretty Lady.

When diva Dorothy Sawyer breaks her leg, Peggy finally gets her shot at being centre stage. But first, she must come to terms with the reality of show business and decide if she still wants to pursue this dream.

Harry Warren, Al Dubin, and Johnny Mercer’s score bursts with showbiz panache. Although the 42nd Street musical premiered in the 1980s, the songs harken back to the classic Hollywood glamour of 1930s musical films.

Many of these bright tunes — penned during the Great Depression — encourage an upbeat, optimistic outlook, such as “Sunny Side of Every Situation,” “Go into Your Dance,” and “We’re in the Money.” Other big, brassy showstoppers emphasise the lure of show business, including “The Lullaby of Broadway” and the title number. Get ready to visit old New York's most famous thoroughfare when 42nd Street returns to London for a limited run.

Assisted Performances

Captioned Performance: Saturday 17 June at 2:30pm
Audio Described + Touch Tour Performance: Saturday 24 June at 2:30pm
BSL interpreted Performance: Saturday 1 July at 7:30pm

42nd Street has an unusual opening night story. The original director and choreographer, Gower Champion, passed away from a rare form of blood cancer shortly before the curtain rose on Broadway. The producer, David Merrick, insisted on waiting until after the performance was over to tell everyone the news. He completely shocked the cast and audience — who initially thought Merrick was attempting to deliver a bizarre joke. Nevertheless, Champion left a powerful legacy with his work on 42nd Street. The original production ran for nearly a decade and led to multiple productions around the world as well.

Based on the 1932 film of the same name, 42nd Street was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1980, winning the 1981 Tony Award for Best Musical. New York showbusiness dreams continued to London, where the West End transfer won the 1984 Olivier Award for Musical of the Year. In 2017, a new production of 42nd Street stunned audiences at Theatre Royal Drury Lane — the same West End theatre where it premiered in London.

What to Watch For:

• One of the most memorable highlights of the show is its thrilling tap numbers. Olivier Award-winnner Bill Deamer choreographs this new production of 42nd Street. He is sure to add an extra sparkle and flair to those incredible dance breaks!
• Beloved West End star Ruthie Henshall will play the role of iconic Broadway diva Dorothy Brock. Other actresses who have previously played the part include Georgia Brown, Christine Ebersole, Rachel York, Ria Jones, and Sheena Easton.
• Sometimes life imitates art. During the original West End run, there was one show when both the lead and the understudy were unable to perform. A teenage chorus girl by the name of Catherine Zeta-Jones took over the role of Peggy Sawyer at the last minute. A producer happened to be in the audience that night; Zeta-Jones was soon promoted to the role of Peggy and, shortly afterwards, her career took off to stratospheric heights. So, pay close attention to the dancers in the chorus; one of them might be a household name some day!