Off-Broadway Review: Gotta Dance!

Step into Broadway History

The anthology Gotta Dance! brings back musical memories.

In dark times (and these are arguably quite dark times for our country), there’s a sure-fire way of shaking the blues away, at least temporarily: tap dancing. Well, almost any kind of theatrical dancing will do the trick.

Musicals worked during the Depression, at least partially, to lighten the mood of a country facing economic and spiritual collapse. Something about watching Ginger Rogers sail across a soundstage, or the speed and energy of a screwball comedy provided a couple of hours of relief through distraction and, perhaps offered a bit of hope. The movies and musicals of the era became a kind of collective dream of better times ahead.

Sadly,  we can’t know what’s around the corner, but if you want to meet some astonishing dancing feet, head down to 42^nd Street where there’s an exuberant show that is virtually guaranteed to lift your spirits and remind you of the enduring power of the Broadway musical.

Gotta Dance! is an anthology of showstoppers curated by Nikki Feirt Atkins and restages iconic numbers from beloved shows with the original choreography. For those who remember the original productions (or high-profile revivals), this is a trip down memory lane providing another glimpse at some of the most unforgettable evenings in the theater. For those who might be new to these pieces, it’s a crash course in the history of dance and an introduction to the kind of excitement these numbers create and how the pure physicality of dance, either solo or in an ensemble, can touch us deeply.

The piece is performed by an incredible troupe of dancers who fill all the roles rotating from featured to back up as each number demands. The precision, skill, and energy every one of these talented performers bring to every moment of the show will blow you away. So, whether it’s Jerome Robbins’ balletic interpretation of a street brawl in “Cool” from West Side Story, the gasp-inducing leap of the Woman in the Yellow Dress from Contact, the sheer joy of “All I Need is the Girl” from Gypsy, or the legendary “One” from A Chorus Line, this is a banquet of riches from the opening number to the curtain call.

It’s also remarkable to see the evolution of dance styles over the decades of visionary choreographers when seen alongside one another. To see the work of Bob Fosse, Michael Bennet, Gene Kelly, Christopher Wheeldon, and others together in one evening is to understand and appreciate how each of these geniuses has left their unique mark on Broadway. It’s striking to realize how these pieces are both very much of their time, in the context of theater styles, and are at the same time timeless. That’s why all these songs still work so well—and so well together—for an audience in 2026.

The company as a whole is so strong that it almost (almost) seems unfair to single out individual performers. So in an evening of high points, some of the highest for me were RJ Higton opening the show with “Broadway Rhythm” and a spectacular “All I Need is the Girl.” Higton also teamed up with the equally dazzling Brandon Burks for “Moses Suposes” from Singing in the Rain. Kate Louissant brought some of the audience to their feet with her magnificent, mega-watt “Sweet Georgia Brown” from Bubbling Brown Sugar, and Drew Minard led the company through a spectacular performance of “Cool.” Other notable moments came for Melody Rose leading “City Lights” from The Act, Blake Zelesnikar in the dance section of “Mr. Monotony” from Jerome Robbins Broadway, and Sara Esty and Barton Cowperthwaite in the pas de deux from An American in Paris.

All that said, one of the real joys of this show is watching a strong ensemble move fluidly through the different numbers and dance styles over the evening with just one goal: to delight, entertain, and uplift the audience.

With all respect to Danny Kaye, I, for one, and the audience I saw this with, are delighted that they’re “doing choreography.” It’s the tonic for whatever ails you in these chaotic times. Simply put, you gotta’ run to see Gotta Dance!

Gotta Dance!
Stage 42
422 West 42nd Street
Mon-Weds, Fri, Sat 7:30 p.m.; Sat 2 p.m.; Sun 3 p.m.
$49-$199 at Telecharge.com
1 hour, 40 mins, 1 intermission

Featured image: RJ Higton in “Broadway Rhythm”
All photos provided by the production.
Photo credit: Christopher Duggan

Published April 2, 2206