OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Set in New York in the 1930s during the height of the Great Depression, “42nd Street” follows chorus girl, Peggy Sawyer, and her rise to fame overnight.
She arrives to the Big Apple from Allentown, Philadelphia, and lands her first big role in the ensemble of a new Broadway show.
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Just before opening night, the show’s leading lady, Dorothy Brock, breaks her ankle, and that’s when Sawyer steps in.
The cast has been rehearsing for four hours, four to five nights a week since early January.
“A show like this, which is a very difficult tap dancing show, takes many hours of practice,” said show director Russell Fox.
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Tess Fouchi plays Peggy Sawyer in the show opening at Osceola Arts. She said she just moved to Orlando in the fall. She works part-time within Disney Entertainment and she’s a full-time student at UCF, pursuing a degree in entertainment management. She said Peggy Sawyer is a dream role for her.
“Over winter break, I threw on my tap shoes again and immediately started training for auditions, determined to get any spot in the show,” Fouchi said.
She said it doesn’t take much for her to get into character, because she really relates to Peggy.
“Fortunately, Peggy shares many qualities with myself, such as enthusiasm, optimism, and a passion for dance. I don’t have too much prep to get into character before the show, because I’m usually just as excited and happy to be at rehearsal as Peggy would be. And although I inhabit some of her positive traits, I also can be just as clumsy as she is, having wiped out a few times during rehearsal,” Fouchi exclaimed.
Hannah McGinley plays the seasoned actress, Dorothy Brock.
“I feel a bit young to be cast as the ‘aging starlet’ at the ripe old age of 35, but then I see these young 20-somethings dancing with all this energy, I find myself relating to her immensely. This show, as many musicals do, focuses a lot on aging in the business and that is something I’m constantly evaluating in myself,” McGinley said.
She said outside of the show, she also works in a box office and at the theme parks.
“The balance is a bit easier for this one, because my husband is the technical director, so several branches are overlapping right now. It’s definitely not easy though! Long nights, often early mornings, but we do it because we love it! It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life, so getting the opportunity to perform professionally is always worth the sacrifices,” McGinley said.
The show captures the essence of Broadway dreams with a backdrop of love, laughter and dance numbers.
“This is a show within a show, so it’s the backstage story of creating a Broadway show in 1933 with all the stereotypical characters of old stage and screen musicals: The director who has lost his money in the stock market and needs to have another great Broadway show hit,” Fox said. “The diva singer, who is no longer at the top of her game, but needs to prove herself again. The comedy team who also are the writer and composer of the show. The young dancer in the chorus line who can’t help but stand out because of her talent, and the lead tenor who sings all the big songs, and dances his way through the show.”
“42nd Street” features Broadway hits, while also capturing the golden age of performing and musical theater.
“Without a doubt, the 42nd Street ‘ballet’ is my favorite. It’s a ten-minute tap ballet celebrating the beauty of New York City, and my character is dancing the whole time. I think it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done onstage, but I absolutely love it,” Fouchi said.
Osceola Arts will have special performances of “42nd Street” with an audio-described show for people who are visually impaired on Friday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m., and an American Sign Language-interpreted performance on Saturday, March 30, at 2:00 p.m. for those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Click here for ticket information.
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