NEW YORK—It must have sounded like a great idea: a musical revue focusing on Broadway dance routines with a few offerings from Hollywood tossed in, all reconstructed with the original choreography. However, “Gotta Dance!” presented by the York Theatre and American Dance Machine at Theatre at St. Jean’s is something of a mixed bag.
While most of the dance numbers are certainly on point, several in the first act don’t really work without an accompanying backstory to properly set the scene. In musicals, the reason behind the dance is often as important as the dance itself. However, when that backstory is there, the effect can be pure magic.
Georgina Pazcoguin and Barton Cowperthwaite in “Gotta Dance.” (Kampfire Films)Act One Struggles
Ironically, one of the best numbers in the show comes from a revue. “Teach Me How to Shimmy” from “Smokey Joe’s Café” features the songs of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. Jessica Lee Goldyn, one of the standouts in the cast, brilliantly executes the dance while Brandon Burks does a nice job with the vocal chops. Also nicely incorporated into the sequence was the Lieber and Stoller song “Love Potion #9,” as choreographed by Randy Skinner, which serves as an intro and outro to the piece.
Another strong entry is “I’m a Brass Band” where the title character from “Sweet Charity” sings about how wonderful it is to finally have someone who loves her. Goldyn takes this number and runs with it, accompanied by a group of high stepping dancers dressed as a marching band.
The cast of “Gotta Dance.” (Kampfire Films)Sadly, several other Act One numbers falter due to a lack of emotional heft. This is especially true with “Simply Irresistible” from “Contact.” The dancing is very good, but the audience isn’t given a chance to understand the non-dancing protagonist (Barton Cowperthwaite), who wanders into a bar and is captivated by a woman in a yellow dress (Afra Hines). It’s hard to care whether he’s able to connect with her or not.
Other misfires include “Cool” from “West Side Story,” “All I Need Is the Girl” from “Gypsy” and “Manson Trio” from “Pippin.” All these, and “Manson Trio” especially, feel unmoored without their original context.
Faring a bit better are two numbers from the film “Singin’ in the Rain,” especially the more comedic offering “Moses Supposes,” as gleefully performed by Burks and Jess LeProtto. The other offering from that movie, “Broadway Melody,” comes off well.
(L–R) Georgina Pazcoguin, Taylor Stanley, and Afra Hines in “Gotta Dance.” (Kampfire Films)Act Two Succeeds
If the first act that has problems, almost everything soars in the second. The hands down highlight of Act Two is “Mr. Monotony.” Written by Irving Berlin for the 1948 film “Easter Parade,” the number was cut from the movie, as well as several subsequent works before finally appearing on stage in “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway” in 1989. Here, it’s told first in song as wonderfully delivered by Hines, then exquisitely acted out in dance by Georgina Pazcougin, Cowperthwaite, and Taylor Stanley.
For some enjoyable comedic relief, there’s “Sweet Georgia Brown” from “Bubbling Brown Sugar.” Kendall LeShanti is excellent as a wannabe singer who knows full well her feminine power, which she demonstrates on dancers Burks and Stanley. Their reactions, which include being rocked back on their heels and collapsing in their tracks, clearly show the effect her dancing has on them.
Just plain fun is the 1936 classic “Sing, Sing, Sing,” restaged here from the 1999 Broadway show “Swing!” It has the company undertaking some very energetic moves and making full use of the stage.
Another enjoyable segment is the tap sequences in “I Love a Piano.” It’s from the Broadway musical “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin, which is based on the 1954 film of the same name.
Deanna Doyle and Jess LeProtto in “Gotta Dance.” (Kampfire Films)Also wonderfully presented is a dance routine from the film “An American in Paris,” which brilliantly exalts the power of dance while letting the audience project their own emotions into the story.
Closing things out brilliantly are two numbers from “A Chorus Line.” The first is the always powerful “The Music and the Mirror.” In it, a dancer (Goldyn) who has fallen on hard times lets loose with a whirlwind of movement. The audience feels the character is quite literally dancing for both her professional life and personal self-respect. Kudos to stager Donna McKecknie for making sure the accompanying dialogue (voiced by Goldyn and Blake Zelesnikar) was included to help create the proper mood. The show closes with the musical’s signature song “One,” with the cast moving in perfect unison, while doing some splendid high kicks.
Dance is often considered a universal language. It can tell a story in a way so clearly that everyone can understand it. “Gotta Dance!” isn’t a perfect show by far, but when all the elements brilliantly come together, what results is sheer joy that’s more than worth the ticket price.
Gotta Dance!
York Theatre at St. Jean’s Theatre
150 E. 76th St., New York City
Tickets: YorkTheatre.org
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes (one intermission)
Closes: Dec. 28, 2025
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