42nd Street
Based on the classic 1933 movie musical of the same name, 42nd Street tells the story of a starry-eyed young actress named Peggy Sawyer who has come to audition for the new Julian Marsh musical that is about to open on Broadway. Unfortunately, Peggy can't seem to work up the nerve to walk through the stage door until it's too late--the audition is over. But not to worry! Peggy soon catches the eye of the famous director, and when the chorus turns up one girl short, Peggy gets her big break. But Peggy can't seem to stay in the good graces of the show's aging leading lady, Dorothy Brock, and on opening night, another Dancer accidentally pushes Peggy into Ms. Brock who falls and breaks her ankle. The furious director fires Peggy on the spot. Discouraged and ready to give up all her dreams of becoming a star, Peggy packs her bags and heads for the train station, but fate has other plans and Peggy may turn out to be a star yet! 42nd Street opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on August 25, 1980 with a cast that featured Jerry Orbach (Julian Marsh), Lee Roy Reams (Billy), Wanda Richert (Peggy), and Tammy Grimes (Dorothy). The original production--which moved to the Majestic Theatre on March 30, 1981, enjoyed a run of 3,486 performances.