42nd Street: The Musical Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

42nd Street: The Musical Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 12, 2021

42nd Street famously started life as a film, and in that regard it may be interesting to momentarily ponder why the stage version's famed director and choreographer, Gower Champion, never seemed to make any significant inroads in either of those categories in the film world, something that may seem especially odd given that he not only was a contemporary of the similarly gifted Bob Fosse, he actually appeared with Fosse in the now little remembered 1953 film musical Give a Girl a Break, an outing which had some not so subtle similarities to 42nd Street itself. Champion's facility with directing and choreographing certainly kept him busy on the Great White Way, ushering in a number of huge hits on Broadway included Bye Bye Birdie and Hello, Dolly!, but unlike Fosse, who was able to helm both the stage and screen versions of Sweet Charity, he was evidently neither offered nor sought work on the film versions. Champion's career had actually cooled considerably by the time he started working on the first stage iteration of 42nd Street, which opened in 1980 on the evening of the very day that Champion tragically died at the relatively young age of 61. 42nd Street was an unqualified smash, though, allowing Champion to "exit into the wings" with one of the biggest successes of his life, and one that would posthumously award him yet another Tony Award for choreography (he was also nominated for directing, perhaps surprisingly losing to Wilford Leach's work on The Pirates of Penzance ). This release joins the recent Kinky Boots: The Musical as part of the so-called Broadway HD series, though this features members of the West End cast.

Part of what gave the film version of 42nd Street its impact was the very era in which it initially appeared, the devastating wake left by the Great Crash of 1929. And in fact "instant poverty" was almost a subtext of the original version, though the tantalizing prospect of "instant wealth" is what made the tale so instantly compelling to workaday audiences. Even the more specific "arc" of hayseed Peggy Sawyer (Clare Halse) who, by the end of the show is memorably "a star", probably offered subliminal (and maybe liminal) hope for 1933 audiences. Those aspects were of course largely missing in action for the 1980 Broadway version, and probably only seem further removed from "reality" for today's audiences, but they give 42nd Street a lot of its emotional energy.

The core of the story is simply the "typical" backstage tale of a director, in this case a put upon type named Julian Marsh (Tom Lister), struggling to shepherd a new musical called Pretty Lady to opening night triumph. Of course there are obstacles galore, including some in fighting among the large ensemble, and, ultimately, an injury to leading lady Dorothy Brock (Bonnie Langford in the place of Sheena Easton, who played the role originally on the West End and gave the show much of its marquee value). That mishap of course shines the spotlight on newcomer Peggy, who suddenly has all her dreams come true, in certified "happily ever after" fashion.

The plot of 42nd Street is obviously outlandish and far fetched, and even the reinvigorating efforts of Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble can't do much to hide the paper thin story elements. But the show is a marvel of pace and absolutely riveting dance sequences. It may be interesting for some musical lovers to compare and contrast the styles of Champion and Fosse as evidenced by this show. Champion loves ensemble dancing, as Fosse did, but Champion tends to offer almost Borg-like aggregations of dancers all making the same movements, while Fosse's individualistic approach could tend to give each dancer his or her own patented moves. (Some of these "group moves" obviously owe their genesis to the work of Busby Berkeley, whom Champion obviously intentionally evoked.) There is one production number that seems willfully reminiscent of Champion's memorable staging of "The Telephone Song" for Bye Bye Birdie. The tapping in this show is phenomenal, and anyone who is a fan of the genre will certainly find a lot to love here.

One slight qualm some may have is with regard to some decisions made by video director Ross MacGibbon, who perhaps unwisely moves away just a time or two from "proscenium" framings to get up close to (and in between) dancers, something that perhaps instantly draws attention to itself for no real purpose.

42nd Street: The Musical Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

42nd Street: The Musical is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Liberator Film Studios and MVD Visual with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is a largely winning looking transfer that offers really nice detail levels on the impressive costumes, many of which feature intricate patterns and almost palpable textures. Close-ups offer precise renderings of not just sets, costumes and props but aspects like clearly visible make-up on some performers or even the vagaries of time and tide on the faces of some of the older actors. The palette is nicely suffused, and tones in the blue and purple ranges are especially impressive. There are occasional slight deficits in shadow detail in some of the more dimly lit moments. Though it's of no major import, really, just the hint of stair stepping can be seen on the text of the main menu choices.

42nd Street: The Musical Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

42nd Street: The Musical features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 tracks. Both of the options offer secure fidelity and at times rather boisterous accountings of the music, and there are pluses and minuses to each. As is often the case, I personally found the stereo track to be a bit more focused sounding, especially with regard to the pit band. The surround track definitely opens up the band and the onstage antics, including offering a more spacious accounting of the tap dance numbers, but I found the sound of the instrumental forces just a tad diffused at times. All of this said, you can't really go wrong with either of these, and music, singing and dialogue are all offered cleanly and clearly throughout. Commendably, there are no major mix issues in either track, with both solo vocalists and ensembles nicely balanced with the orchestral forces. Optional English subtitles are available.

42nd Street: The Musical Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no supplements on the Blu-ray disc.

42nd Street: The Musical Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

These new releases from Liberator Film Studios and MVD Visual should be a real crowd pleaser for audiences who love live theater but who either haven't been able to get out and about or who may have missed a particular production for one reason or another. 42nd Street is hardly innovative or thought provoking, but that may make it more appealing than ever, especially for those desperately in need of a little theatrical "comfort food". Technical merits are generally solid, and 42nd Street: The Musical comes Recommended.