Final Performance Of '42nd Street' On Sept. 23 At City Springs

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — If you haven't had a chance to catch Tony Award-winning actor Shuler Hensley in "42nd Street" at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, you only have a few more chances to do so. That's because the show will hold its final performances Sept. 21-23 at Byers Theater.

Tickets for the show are $30-$62, with discounts for seniors, students, groups, and active and retired military personnel, and can be purchased online. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23.

"42nd Street" is an unforgettable tap-dancing extravaganza with a book by Michael Stewart and MarkBramble, lyrics by Al Dubin and music by Harry Warren. Packed with plenty of music, the show will set your heart pounding with its rhythmically tapping feet and hit parade of songs such as "We're In The Money," "Shuffle Off To Buffalo," "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me," and, of course, "42nd Street."

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The 1980 Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Musical, as did the 2001 Broadway revival for Best Revival. Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and the subsequent 1933 film adaptation, "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 set to open on Broadway. Unfortunately, the actress can't seem to work up the nerve to walk through the stage door until the audition is over.

Fortunately, Peggy soon catches the eye of the famous director and when the chorus turns up one girl short, Peggy gets her big break. But she can't seem to stay in the good graces of the show's aging leading lady, Dorothy Brock. On opening night, another dancer accidentally pushes Peggy into Ms. Brock, who falls and breaks her ankle. The furious director fires the younger actress 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.

Playing Broadway director Julian Marsh is Tony Award-winning Georgia native Shuler Hensley, the associate artistic director of City Springs Theatre Company. Hensley most recently starred as Charlie in Royal Theatre Bath's critically acclaimed production of "The Whale."

Stateside, he has appeared as the Monster in the original Broadway and West End productions of Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein," Javert in Broadway's "Les Miserables," and Jud Fry in "Oklahoma!," which earned him the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Olivier awards.

"42nd Street" also stars Leigh Ellen Jones as Peggy Sawyer, Deborah Bowman as Dorothy Brock, Benjamin Taylor Davis as Broadway crooner Billy Lawlor, Googie Uterhardt and Marcie Millard as the songwriting team of Bert Barry and Maggie Jones, Steve Hornibrook as show financier Abner Dillon, Michael Persson as dance director Andy Lee, and Jody Woodruff as former vaudeville performer, Pat Denning.

City Springs Theatre Executive/Artistic Director Brandt Blocker directs alongside Resident Music Director Judy Cole and Resident Choreographer Cindy Mora Reiser. "42nd Street" will also include the live City Springs Theatre Orchestra.

Images via City Springs Theatre