Category Archives: 42nd Street

We all love a story where the underdog wins or the American Dream comes true right before our very eyes. The story of 42nd Street The Musical chronicles one such story where a young performer gets her big break on Broadway with fantastic results. 

Let’s explore the storyline, themes and backdrops appropriate for this classic Broadway musical often seen as a revival in local and regional theaters. 

The Story of 42nd Street 

42nd Street The Musical is an adaptation of the 1932 novel written by Bradford Rope and the subsequent Hollywood adaptation in 1933. This 1980 Broadway production won many accolades including the Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Choreography and the Olivier Award for Best Musical in London. 

This beloved Broadway production tells the story of Peggy Sawyer, a young performer from a small town in Pennsylvania who travels to the Big Apple in the hopes of making it big on Broadway. With stars in her eyes, naive Peggy is thrust into the sometimes political and seedy side of Broadway when she is late for her first audition for Pretty Lady. 

Dorothy Brock, the show’s leading lady and typical Broadway diva, takes an instant dislike to the newcomer and her positive and hopeful outlook. Peggy is cast in the chorus of the show and quickly becomes friendly with many of the other girls who show her the way of Broadway. 

When Dorothy is injured during the show’s preview, the director and producer scramble to find a talent that can take on the leading role. Peggy and her talent for dance and acting fit the bill and she earns her chance to make it on Broadway. 

While the story of 42nd Street focuses on the life of young Peggy, it is set in New York City during the difficult and desolate Great Depression era of the 1930s. The show captures the vast difference between the glitz and glamor of the Broadway world and the depression of the post-Stock Market Crash world. 

Backdrops for 42nd Street 

The setting of 42nd Street ranges from the streets of New York City to the stage of Broadway theaters. Let’s take a closer look at some of our more popular backdrops that can boost your performance. 

Stage Scenes 

This Bare Backstage Backdrop shows a brick wall with a theater door, spiral staircase, catwalk, and scenery flats leaning against the wall. 

Or, this Bare Backstage Backdrop #2381 which shows a backstage wall with a ladder, pipes, and scenery sets leaning against the wall would be a perfect choice for your production. 

This Pretty Lady Scrim Backdrop shows a vintage Pretty Lady design for use in 42nd Street performances. 

New York City Backdrops 

NYC SkylineThere are several cityscape and NYC backdrops to choose from for your performance of 42nd Street. This Cityscape Backdrop # 2419 would be ideal as it shows a black-and-white version of the skyscrapers juxtaposed with the glitz of Broadway. 

This colorful art deco version of NYC shows a more positive view of the city titled NYC Skyline Backdrop. To view all 57 backdrop options offered please visit show suggestions under 42nd Street The Musical.

Amazing choreography, show-stopping tap routines, and masterful musical lyrics make 42nd Street The Musical a classic and beloved Broadway musical. Musical theater organizations across the country choose this musical to make their own. 

Based on the 1932 novel by Bradford Ropes and the subsequent 1933 Hollywood film adaptation, 42nd Street was awarded the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Choreography and the Olivier Award for Best Musical among many other accolades during its extended run on Broadway and in the West End of London.

Backdrops By Charles Stewart offers a wide array of backdrops appropriate for your next showing of 42nd Street. We have 57 options for your adaptation of this classic backstage story that follows the lives and careers of actors during a dark and stressful time in American history – The Great Depression. 

A Little History of 42nd Street The Musical

42nd Street chronicles the life of dancers and actors backstage in a Broadway theater during the 1930s after the 1929 Stock Market Crash and during the financial strain of the Great Depression. Focus is put on the main character, Peggy Sawyer, a young girl from a small town in middle America who hopes to fulfill her lifelong dreams of making it on Broadway. 

While the show is set during the 1930s in New York City, the musical itself shows off the glitz and glamor often associated with a big-budget Broadway musical; a direct contrast to the life of many Americans just outside the walls of the theater. 

From the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco to the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine, audiences have delighted in this tap-dancing and vocal masterpiece. 

Backdrops for 42nd Street 

Creating the set and atmosphere of any musical falls to the light and sound engineers, stage managers and prop masters. Backdrops By Charles Stewart offers over 50 backdrops that will assist these experts in setting the stage for a successful performance of 42nd Street at your theater. 

Most scenes for 42nd Street The Musical focus on areas of a typical theater such as the dressing rooms, stage, actor dressing areas, and production crew quarters as well as the streets of the city and neighboring cities. Here are some of our most popular 42nd Street-designed backdrops that could help your production come to life. 

Backstage 

This Bare Stage Backdrop shows a brick wall with a theater door, staircase, catwalk, and scenery flats leaning against the wall. This backdrop measures 18 x 24 and is currently available for rent. 

NYC & Broadway Street 

Nothing says Broadway more than the marquee and the streets of the Big Apple. This Broadway Marquis Backdrop #2320 displays a New York City street with different Broadway theater marquees aglow. 

Or, this NYC Skyline Backdrop could help set the stage with this nightime New York skyline with purple sky and stars. 

Moonlight serenadeTo set the mood as the characters reveal themselves, this Moonlight Serenade Backdrop #2338 shows a beautiful night sky with stars, moon, and cloud cover. 

To view all the backdrops available for 42nd Street The Musical visit our show suggestions pages. Break a leg!