Alyssa Schechter is Peggy Sawyer, the girl from a small town with big dreams of making it on Broadway. Tapping her way into the chorus line with impressive prowess, her heart and lack of pretentiousness make her quick to befriend the rest of the cast. Good guy and fellow dancer Billy Lawlor (a smooth dancing and singing Ryan Wagner) works hard to become more than friends with her as he woos her with his voice and feet in I’m Young and Healthy. Even the cynical, hard-driving, very direct director Julian Marsh (played with such perfect confidence and authority by Brian Polk) can’t resist her charm and idealism. The only real exception is veteran prima donna Dorothy Brock (played with hilarious melodrama by Erin Gilmore) who is not the least bit smitten with the up-and-coming newcomer – especially when she thinks Peggy is a little too cozy with her lover Pat Denning (Michael Walker). Dorothy and Billy share one of the most humorous scenes as they dance to You’re Getting to be Habit with Me with Billy clearly not too excited about dancing with the obnoxious Miss Brock.

But this show shines brightest with its big musical numbers, and it’s clear from the first curtain rise that this ensemble can hoof it with the very best, moving to Steve Anthony’s choreography with perfect syncopation for tremendous effect. Great dancing delivers the bigger-than-life Shadow Waltz, Brigitte Beas leading her tiptop tappers to lunch via their tap shoes, and putting a huge charge into such famous numbers as We’re in the Money (a whole dime, as it turns out), The Lullaby of Broadway, and of course 42^nd Street so well conceived and performed.

Performs through August 15, 2004.

Rob Hopper
San Diego Playbill