A very jovial Jae Alexander raises his conducting baton, and everybody is buzzing for the show to begin. As the cheerful overture comes to an end, the curtain raises a fraction to reveal a classic sight of musical theatre – a long row of feet furiously tapping away. Then, the full stage is revealed, and we are thrust into an energetic, almost too bright, scene that sets the tone for the rest of the show – there will be colourful costumes, much talk of showbiz and, above all, mind-boggling tap routines.

The year is 1933, the place is Atlantic City in the throes of the Great Depression. We are in an audition room – Broadway producer Julian Marsh is casting the chorus for his next show. The audience takes the ensemble, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, immediately into their hearts. Their yearning to get jobs dancing in a musical comedy chorus is palpable – the show is set in a time when not getting the gig would mean relying on the breadline.

What follows is a fairly simple American Dream storyline, familiar to most in the audience – when the star drops out due to a broken ankle, underdog chorine Peggy must take her place in order to save everyone’s livelihoods and inevitably outshines her. Also, her director and co-star both have the hots for her. That’s pretty much all there is to it.

It would have been nice to see the scenes in between the dance numbers explored in greater depth, because acting is most of the cast’s weakest skill. Sheena Easton, though she undoubtedly has a very good voice, is lacklustre as diva Dorothy Brock. Clare Halse, though sparkly when grinningly tapping and twirling her way around the stage, isn’t quite charming enough as dreamy-eyed chorus girl Peggy Sawyer. One would have expected Tom Lister’s experience to give his Julian Marsh more flair – he is very static to begin with and only warms a bit into his role during the second half. The standout performance comes from Emma Caffrey as ‘Anytime Annie’ (the name explains her character). Highly watchable, she had boundless energy and the best singing skills outside the leads.

All of that being said, the dance numbers are glorious. This is obviously where the production has focused its energy. All the winning smiles and sequins you could possibly want are there, and the tap dancing is really very good. The classic tunes, such as ‘Shuffle off to Buffalo’ and ’42nd Street’, are entertainingly staged. One might have hoped for a bit more experimentation – this production does very little to surprise. The only scene that is unusually staged is a number in which a chorus member seems to dance with Easton’s shadow whilst she sings from behind a white screen. Other than that, there is a lot of the same type of dancing, highly predictable jokes and quite a bit of ‘Singing in the Rain’. However, perhaps that is the purpose of these classic Broadway shows – to deliver just what the audience expects.

There is no denying that it was an excellent night out. The show received a standing ovation from a lot of the audience after ’42nd Street’, and again from everyone at the end. True, there is no emotional depth to this show. But that is hardly what those who conceived this show to cheer up America during the time of the Great Depression were concerned about. It’s almost inevitably enjoyable. You will go home singing, ‘We’re in the money, we’re in the money…’ 42nd Street is nothing if not infectious.

42nd Street is playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane until September 6.

Photo: Brinkhoff/Moegenburg