UA to Present ’42nd Street’ in Mobile

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The award-winning musical “42nd Street” will be performed by The University of Alabama’s department of theatre and dance at the Mobile Civic Center April 9.

Some 60 UA students and faculty will travel to Mobile to present the full-scale musical. This is the third time the UA department of theatre and dance has taken a large-scale production to a major Alabama city and the second time to do so in Mobile.

The musical “Showboat” was presented by UA at the Mobile Civic Center in 2013, and “Big River” was performed in Montgomery in 2011.

The production is supported by UA administrators, the Office for Academic Affairs and UA’s College of Arts and Sciences. Mobile sponsors include Regions Bank and Mobile Bay Magazine.

Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes, “42nd Street” premiered on Broadway in 1980 and won a Tony Award that year for Best Musical. The musical was written by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble and features music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin. Musical hits include “We’re in the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Forty-Second Street” and more.

Set in 1933, “42nd Street” is a celebration of Broadway and the people involved in shows. It follows an aspiring chorus girl, Peggy Sawyer, who moves to New York from a small town in hopes of performing on Broadway.

Tara Lynn Steele, a senior majoring in musical theatre and dance at UA, stars in “42nd Street” as Peggy. Steele said she is looking forward to performing the show at the Civic Center because it’s a larger performance venue with an eager crowd.

“Taking the show on tour is a huge endeavor, but it’s worth every challenge,” she said. “I’m excited to be able to perform with this company as my last performance in college.”

Stacy Alley, a UA assistant professor and director and choreographer of “42nd Street,” said the biggest challenge is adjusting the show to fit a space that is different and bigger than UA’s Marian Gallaway Theatre.

“It is exciting and fun, but also stressful,” Alley said. “Our cast and crew are extremely talented and have put a tremendous amount of time and energy into this show. I hope Mobile audiences will come to see our hard work come to fruition. This show is old-school musical theatre at its best.”

Bill Teague, professor and chair of the UA department of theatre and dance, said that performing in Mobile is an excellent opportunity and a win-win situation for everyone involved.

“Our performers have to really increase both their vocal and physical energy levels to perform in these larger venues, and our design and technical students have the opportunity to work side-by-side with the union stage crew,” Teague said. “All participate in the touring experience. Everyone entering the profession will encounter all of these situations, both early on and throughout their careers.

“It is also an outstanding outreach event for the University,” Teague said. “Many in the audience will be alumni and supporters of the University, but there will also be many in the audience with no prior connections to UA. This is opportunity to connect with old friends and make new ones.”

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students and children in Mobile and may be purchased at the Civic Center box office, or online at mobilecivicctr.com/ or ticketmaster.com.

The cast and crew will return to Tuscaloosa to present “42nd Street” April 14-19 at the Marian Gallaway Theatre on the UA campus. Tickets are $20 for adults; $17 for faculty, staff, and seniors; and $14 for students in Tuscaloosa. For more information, visit www.theatre.ua.edu/season/2014-2015.

The department of theatre and dance is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.