The musical 42nd Street first appeared on Broadway in 1933 with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin. Their title song became one of those show tunes that sticks around, and the show itself has been revived several times since. The 1980 revival, produced by David Merrick with a revised book by Michael Stewart, added new numbers like 'We're In The Money' to the score.
Warren and Dubin wrote the original songs, including 'Sunny Side to Every Situation' and 'About a Quarter to Nine.' The show's plot follows a chorus girl who gets her big break, which has kept it in rotation for decades. Various cast recordings exist, from the original 1933 version to a London production in 2017.
Some critics have pointed out that the show's portrayal of women in show business feels dated. But the tap-dancing spectacle and those Warren-Dubin melodies have made it a reliable staple for theaters. It's less a single band's story than the ongoing life of a Broadway property that keeps getting another run.
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