Mirvish’s ’42nd Street’ brings feel-good vibes to the dark days of January

If you’re looking for something to uplift your spirits in the dark days of January, Mirvish has just the solution. Last month, the big and bright musical, 42^nd Street, gave Toronto’s theatre lovers something to talk about when the curtain opened on the production at the Princess of Wales Theatre. For those in the dark, 42^nd Street is a long-time, original showbiz musical (created in 1980) that offers an over-the-top production filled with all the feel-good trappings of old Broadway. Think: elaborate tap dance routines, larger-than-life musical numbers, and intricate, era-appropriate costumes that are conversation starters in themselves. 

Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and the subsequent 1933 film, the splashy, Tony Award-winning musical comes direct from its recent smash run at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, bringing its talent-packed cast along with it. Set in New York in 1932, the production tells the story of the coming-together of a high-stake Broadway show (so, it’s essentially a show within a show) and the young, beautiful, and bright-eyed Peggy Sawyer, who arrives in the big city with even bigger dreams of seeing her name in lights. 

Peggy quickly catches the eye of big-time director Julian Marsh and lands a spot in the chorus. When the show’s leading lady is injured, Peggy gets her chance to shine – and her shot at stardom. Peggy is played by the captivating Nicole-Lily Baisden, a relatively new fixture on the world’s theatre scene, one whose star is on the rise. 

“Peggy, as a character, comes in at the beginning; she’s moved to New York and wants to get into a Broadway show and will do anything to do so,” says Baisden. “There’s a lot of challenges along the way, but she still manages to do it. From then on, it’s kind of mistake after mistake, but she’s still determined to prove herself. At the end of Act One, something happens — I won’t spoil it — and she’s fired from the show. Then, she comes back and they ask her to take over as the star of the show. I can relate to it in a way, being a performer and trying to get into your first show and working through it and all of a sudden you’re told, ‘We’d like you to do this starring role.’ So, I know what that’s like; all that comes with having to carry a show for the first time.”

Baisden had previously played the role of Hope Harcourt in the London production of Anything Goes, which opened in the summer of 2021. She says that 42^nd Street presents a challenge in the sheer amount of stamina required in the high-energy (i.e. non-stop dancing for over two hours) show. “The stamina of the show is such a marathon; from start to finish, it’s never-ending,” says Baisden. “We had five weeks of rehearsals when we first started the show in London, which was a good way to get into it, but nothing can prepare you for the amount of dancing – it’s a lot. But I love it.”

Baisden says that 42^nd Street is the type of show that will appeal to even the theatre newbies and those who are self-proclaimed “not theatre people” (you know the type). “42nd Street is such a classic show, so it’s got everything that a traditional musical would have,” says Baisden. “It’s got a great storyline, huge production numbers, beautiful and sparkly costumes, and a captivating set. Even if you’re not a theatre person, visually, it’s beautiful to watch. The dance numbers do blow people away. Most people recognize a lot of the songs, and the storyline is very heartwarming. So, even if you’re not a theatre person, there will be something in it you will enjoy.” 

With beloved numbers like “We’re in the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off to Buffalo,” and “I Only Have Eyes for You” (lyrics by Al Dubin and John Mercer and music by Harry Warren), the musical is the type that will have the audience tapping their toes throughout the performance and leave them humming on the way home.

“Like Singing in the Rain, it’s one of the most enjoyable shows you can possibly watch; it’s the skill of the singing, the skill of the dancing, the comedic elements of it…,” says the show’s director, Jonathan Church. “I think you come out of it feeling like a million dollars, because you’ve watched such talent, gone through this amazing rags-to-riches story with the leading actress, with a lot of fun and skill along the way – and, hopefully, tunes you’ll recognize and be singing down the street. It’s a dance-led musical, it’s a wonderful backstage story, and it’s kind of iconic.”

Church says that 40nd Street’s storyline – the show-within-a-show element – presents a unique challenge as a director. “The challenges are – within all the music, all the dancing, and fun – for me, it’s about keeping a little bit of a sense of reality about what it’s really like to make a show,” says Church. “In making it, it’s a bit like coming out of COVID. In the show, they’re coming out of the Depression; a lot of them haven’t worked. And, whether it’s Dorothy Brock [a lead character], or the director, or the producers, they’re all desperate for the show to succeed, so there is an urgency and a desperation in a reality that we all know. So, within all the fun, dance, and glory of it, I felt that my job as a director was to try to root it in a reality of the problem, which is trying to make a show in the backdrop of no money, when audiences that have gone away, and to keep the stakes high.” 

Church says another challenge was finding the right cast, all of whom needed to be top-tier “triple threats” (those who excel in dancing, singing, and acting, simultaneously). “You have to find – which I believe we have in young Nicole-Lily, who is playing Peggy – an actress who is young and doing one of her first jobs, but is capable of leading a show,” says Church. “So, the search for her and, indeed, a lot of the cast, was a very long set of auditions. We’re lucky we also supplemented that with great British West End and Broadway talent for experience in the older roles, but the big challenge was finding all the young stars-to-be.” 

Despite the physical and mental demands of the job, Baisden still manages to find a sense of balance during the show’s run. “What’s nice, is that when we have an evening show, you have all day to prepare yourself and get ready,” says Baisden. “When I’m not in the theatre, I always do things that are quiet and to myself. I love reading. I have a lot of hot baths, because our bodies are aching all the time from doing this show. But, also, I’ve never been to Toronto, so I fully want to go out and explore and see everything. So, it’s about finding a balance between not being too tired to do the show, and also experiencing the city.” 

As for the rest of us, if you’re in the market for a visually stimulating, talent-packed time to help sooth the January blues, 42^nd Street runs until January 21, 2024. 

Find more info here.