By Emma Rausch
emma@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH, Ind. – The backstage musical comedy “42nd Street” invites Wabash to “come and meet those dancing feet” at the Honeywell Center Ford Theater on Friday, Feb. 17.
Set in 1933, the musical tells the story of two “quintessential” American dreams coming to fruition on the Broadway stage. The first is of Peggy Sawyer, played by Clara Cox, and her goal of becoming a lead in a Broadway show.
The second is of director Julian Marsh, portrayed by Matthew J. Taylor, and his aim to rise back to the top.
The two characters meet on the set of “Pretty Lady,” Marsh’s next big musical production and Sawyer’s introduction to the stage.
While the show is miles away from New York City, “it has Broadway-caliper principles on this tour,” according to Taylor.
“We’ve got talent from New York, Chicago, L.A., all coming together to make this production what it is and that really shines through on the stage,” he told The Paper of Wabash County. “The tour has been received wonderfully and we’ve had incredible audiences.
“The story is so accessible and so much fun and so nostalgic that it really has made the tour amazing to bring to these parts of the country.”
The musical is about love, not just between two characters, but their passion for the stage and starlight, according to Taylor.
However, with his background as a veteran actor knowledgeable of the musical, Taylor admits he’s brought something additional to Marsh’s traditional character.
“I think it’s very easy to make Julian Marsh this impresario that was raised in the theatre … who from birth was expected to be a star,” Taylor told The Paper of Wabash County. “I just don’t see Julian that way and I think that my Julian comes across as a bit more, he’s not humble by any stretch of the imagination, but there is that constant need to prove ones self.
“He even says in his open monologue that he’s down for the county, but ‘Pretty Lady’ is going to put him back on top. It’s not that ‘Pretty Lady’ is going to elevate him to the top. He’s already been to the top. He’s the best that’s ever been, but he’s fallen short and being the best once isn’t enough for him. He has to prove it again and again.”
With both Sawyer and Marsh focused on their goals and falling in love along the way, the musical reminds the audience of what America is all about, he continued, hard work and perseverance.
Taylor encourages all of Wabash County’s residences to come out to the show.
“I think that ‘42nd Street’ brings a modicum of hope and an evening of nostalgia that is so important right now,” he said. “We can come together and enjoy light-hearted art (at this show).”
The show will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available for $35, $45 and $58 and may be purchased by visiting honeywellcenter.org or calling the Honeywell Center Box Office at 260-563-1102.