Gotta Dance! Combines Music and Movement

Apr 22, 2026 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Two Sues on the Aisle, Susie Rosenbluth and Sue Weston

Gotta Dance!, a musical revue paying tribute to Broadway and Hollywood dance at Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street), starts at a disadvantage. It showcases classic numbers choreographed by such legends as Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, and Gene Kelly—and often made famous by iconic dancers, whose performances have etched indelible memories in the minds of anyone who has seen them. Gotta Dance!, conceived by Nikki Feirt Atkins (of American Dance Machine (ADM21) and co-directed with Randy Skinner, aims to preserve the original choreography of classic musicals, including the likes of West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line, and Pippin, on one stage. The show combines movement and music, hoping to breathe new life into performances that shaped Broadway theater.

Anyway you look at it, Gotta Dance! is a historical celebration of the choreographers who designed Broadway’s golden age, a nostalgic way to spend a few hours in the presence of some delightfully talented dancers.

photos by Christopher Duggan

Entertaining but not Memorable

As the name suggests, Gotta Dance! offers audiences a chance to remember iconic works, including: “All I Need Is the Girl” from Gypsy, “Cool” from West Side Story, and “Mr. Monotony” from Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, “The Music and the Mirror” from A Chorus Line, “Pas de Deux” from An American in Paris, “Manson Trio” from Pippin, and “Sweet Georgia Brown” from Bubbling Brown Sugar—all in all, 100 minutes of non-stop performances of some 17 numbers, performed by a talented cast of 14.

Unfortunately, the show attempts to replicate the magic audiences originally experienced. But how could any of them stand up against the likes of Gene Kelly’s Singin’ in the Rain (1952) or An American in Paris (1951)—especially since so many of these performances have been captured forever on celluloid.

One of the Sues vividly recalls attending Joseph Papp’s 1975 production of A Chorus Line, in which Donna McKechnie (Cassie) of “The Music and the Mirror” achieved legendary status in Broadway history. McKechnie won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role, famously based on her own life and career struggles. How could Gotta Dance! possibly compete with something that memorable or inspired?

photos by Christopher Duggan

The current production opens with nicely performed, relatable Broadway classics. Instead of using scenery, the back is used as a screen, offering some information about the upcoming number and projecting imagery, setting the mood. Other than relevant dialogue and song, the production provides no context to transition between numbers, allowing the pieces to flow and speak for themselves. One Sue found this unsettling. She was looking for more structure and was underwhelmed with Act Two, which included interpretative dance numbers as opposed to scenes from Broadway classics. Both Sues enjoyed “Cool” from West Side Story and the use of “One” from A Chorus Line as the closing segment, in which the entire troupe appears as a unit, complete with the original show’s high-kicking Rockette-like line.

photos by Christopher Duggan

To its credit, Gotta Dance! offers multi-generational family entertainment, but it counts on the approval of those members of the audience who recall the original productions rather than Broadway dance novices. In the production we attended, many of the performers assumed various roles, which may have contributed to the lack of precision and polish. For Broadway dance aficionados, Gotta Dance is an enjoyable musical interlude, an escape from the hustle and bustle of NYC, and a way to pay homage to the legendary choreographers of Broadway.

photos by Christopher Duggan

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed.

Gotta Dance!at Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street) received 2 Challahs

Scheduled to run through June 14, 2026

Running Time 100 minutes (with one intermission)