Review: 42nd Street at The Hammond School, Chester

Jul 1 2011 by Jo Henwood, Chester Chronicle

42ND STREET/The Hammond School, Chester

REVIEW/by Jo Henwood

SHE may have said it herself but Hammond principal Maggie Evans’ declaration of ‘pure brilliance’ to describe her school’s production of the Broadway musical 42nd Street was right on target.

The toe-tapping extravaganza about naive actress Peggy Sawyer’s dream to play on Broadway in Julian Marsh’s hit Pretty Lady was a success from start to finish.

The real star of the show, or both shows in fact, was Chantel Bellew as Peggy Sawyer, who soon catches the eye of the famous director and lands the leading role.

Bellew, a professional musical theatre student, obviously caught the eye of Hammond director and choreographer Alison Hughes. Her spot-on comic timing, character development and stunning tap skills would surely guarantee her a part in any West End musical as soon as she heads south to seek her fortune.

Joshua Donovan, as Julian Marsh, has come a long way since his days as Cain in the 2008 Chester Mystery Plays when he was a student at St David’s High School in Saltney.

Carly Cook was a delight as the gauche Maggie Jones and Fia Houston-Hamilton entertaining as Anytime Annie.

An evening of sheer joy