What was that word you just said? Havre de Grace? They’re offering you the chance to see the biggest musical the city’s seen in 20 years and you say— Havre de Grace? Now listen, readers, and listen good— cause you’re gonna wanna come on along and listen to— Scottfield Theatre Company as they present the splashy, flashy, big, lush, Broadway musical 42^nd Street. And in a sit-down two-part interview session, we’ve got the show’s dueling divas answering some questions all about the production and their experiences!

Thank you so very much for giving us some of your time during this busy rehearsal week! Now, we’re getting started with Katelyn Dixon, who is no stranger to performing in the area. Tell us, Katelyn, what was it that made you want to come out and be a part of 42^nd Street?

Katelyn Dixon: I love being a part of community theatre. I am an arts educator in Baltimore County Public Schools— I teach at Dundalk Elementary School, and I was actually just the assistant director of our musical there. We did Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr.— so I love any opportunity to perform and continue to grow myself as an artist as well as inspiring my students at school.

You love community theatre, you’re local-ish to the Towson-area, so you’re splitting your time halfway between here and halfway between Columbia when it comes to community theatre, so the commute isn’t crazy but not exactly right in your backyard. Do you have a personal connection to the show 42^nd Street that made you say ‘I want to go be a part of that?’

Katelyn: When I was growing up, I studied classical dance. One of my teachers— my musical theatre class teacher when I was about eight— started doing different snippets of shows, just little previews of numbers. We did a number from Cats and a number from Thoroughly Modern Millie, different shows like that. “Lullaby of Broadway” happened to be one of those snippets, and I know that’s one of the most well-known songs in this show. That was something that had always been in the back of my mind, but it was never a show that I ever had the opportunity to pursue. Until now.

That is awesome. You are playing Peggy Sawyer. What’s it like getting to be Peggy? How are you two similar? How are you two different? What are you bringing to her, what is she bringing to you?

Katelyn: I think she’s really fun. I’m 23— so I’m in my early 20’s, which is around the same age as Peggy is supposed to be in the show. I think that’s pretty fun. Now I am not a performer in the sense that that is my career, but I am involved in the arts for my career. I think it’s great to see that drive that she had for that. I think it’s great to see that aspect of performance and to get to explore new things while pursuing things that you love.

We’re right in the middle of the rehearsal process, I know you guys don’t open for another three or so weeks, but what would you say has been the biggest challenge that you’ve faced so far in playing Peggy Sawyer?

Katelyn: For me, I’m a very reserved person and I guess you could say her character is as well. It’s Peggy’s first time trying to get her big break. For me it’s always been about coming out and doing more, pushing for more, and getting all the components of the dance together, so trying to make that fit inside of Peggy has been a challenge.

You did mention that you’ve had some dance training, so what has the dancing been like for you in this show?

Katelyn: Tap is my favorite genre of dance and it has been for a really long time. So just the opportunity to do that and to the extent that we’re doing it in this show has been really fun and very rewarding.

Now, have they shown you costumes yet or is the production team still working on those? And if you have seen your costumes do you have one that is your favorite?

Katelyn: Oh no, they have! They’re really ahead of things. We have some costumes and they are going to be really awesome. As far as favorites go, I think the iconic blue dress in 42^nd Street, the title number? I’d have to say that one is probably my favorite.

That’s a perfect segue, do you have a favorite number that you enjoy either performing in or just listening to from the wings?

Katelyn: 42^nd Street is really fun. It’s great that it’s a big ensemble with the full cast but you also get these more intimate moments in the duet part of it. So I think that number is probably my favorite but it’s also the most challenging in terms of stamina and getting through the whole thing!

Is there a moment anywhere in this show that defines what 42^nd Street means to you personally?

Katelyn: I think that “Lullaby of Broadway” is one of those moments because that’s the point where Peggy feels that she’s missed her big break and messed it up. So in that moment, where she gets to realize that people still believe in her— that really resonates with me as a person. It shows me that with your own personal drive and with the support of others, you can continue and achieve whatever it is you’ve set your mind to, whatever goal you want to attain.

That is profound and delightful. What has it been like getting to work with this bunch of folks here at Scottfield Theatre Company?

Katelyn: It’s been a lot of fun. Now I got to work with a lot of them over the summer when we did Something Rotten at Cockpit in Court. Becky (Director Becky Titelman) and a few other performers from that and there are also some performers in this show that I have worked with in other theatre companies. But for a lot of people, it’s my first time working with them and that has been so much fun! Getting to meet these new people and work with people who have these similar passions as I do has been really, really great.

How are you finding the time difference between when the show takes place and modern day? Are you finding it difficult to keep up with or what’s that experience been like for you?

Katelyn: I guess it’s a little bit of both. There are some parts of being “Gen Z” who grow up in the 2000’s that are very, very different from Peggy Sawyer and her time era. And that can be tricky at times. But people still have relationships with others, people still interact with each other, people still pursue their dreams and goals, so I try to focus on that when it comes to finding similarities between then and now.

Peggy Sawyer has the “on-again/off-again” relationship with Julian Marsh. What is getting to play with that type of relationship dynamic been like?

Katelyn: We haven’t fully finished working through all of the scenes at the end of Act II, which is where the character development and structure of that relationship really comes into play, but I think it has been an interesting transition thus far. Meeting the person who is playing Julian Marsh (Anthony Case) has been wild, as it’s someone that I’ve never worked with before, so we’re really starting almost exactly like Peggy is in the show— you come in with your pre-conceived notions or what you’ve heard about somebody but then you spend time getting to know them and it’s been great and fun in this process.

If you could play any role in this show, other than Peggy Sawyer, where all of the skillset required for the role wasn’t a factor, if you could literally just pick someone and be that person, who would you be?

Katelyn: Hmm. I think that any of the girls who are in what we call the “Ragamuffin Corps” with me would be a great part because they get to be in all of the main dance numbers. But they don’t have all the added responsibility of lots of dialogue and singing solos and things like that. I really do enjoy the dancing and the camaraderie with everyone.

You’re very young, as you had mentioned, do you have any roles on your bucket list that you just can’t wait to do?

Katelyn: Not fully. Like I said, I do love tap musicals. So anything around that genre where tap is a feature— I’ve choreographed for Anything Goes, Thoroughly Modern Millie is definitely up there for me, just like this, and they’re both around the same time period and they’re both in that ‘tap-musical’ genre. Those would probably be my top ‘to-do’ shows.

If you had to invite people out to come and see 42^nd Street, what might you say to them to entice them to come and spend an evening or an afternoon with Scottfield Theatre Company?

Katelyn: A lot of people love this show because of its nostalgia. It’s very classic music theatre. But it’s the heart and soul of everyone involved with this show— everyone is very genuine and everyone has worked very hard and I think that’s what sets it apart from other performances. So please come see everyone working very hard and being very genuine in 42^nd Street.

What would you say, up to this point in the rehearsal process, has been your biggest learning lesson? Your biggest personal takeaway from being involved with 42^nd Street here at Scottfield Productions?

Katelyn: I really enjoy the process of getting to play someone that has aspirations as a performer. As an artist myself, I’ve always been more on the production side of things, particularly in terms of choreography. I knew that I was going to be an arts educator professionally, not a performer. But getting to play and train as someone who is pursuing that performance career has been fun for me. Even though it’s not a personal dream of mine, I can relate to her. And that has just been great for me.

Now your character of Peggy Sawyer, she gets to save the day and do all the things when the Dorothy character cannot; what has that been like?

Katelyn: It’s been fine so far. It’s very different in the fact that during the title number, 42^nd Street, it’s all singing and then dance; they aren’t put together the way they are in most shows. But I have enjoyed having that separation, because as a performer it is nice to have that time to focus on one thing and then the other thing.

Have you ever been to Allentown, PA?

Katelyn: I actually have! I have an uncle that lived in Bethlehem, PA and we would go visit him a few times a year.

What are you hoping people will take away from coming out to see 42^nd Street? What do you hope they leave the theatre saying or talking about?

Katelyn: I hope that people will leave the theatre realizing that there are a lot of talented people out there and that there are a lot of people trying to chase their dreams. I hope they realize that people need to support the people around them as they try to chase those dreams. And giving that support— even to people who you don’t know— can go a long way for the people getting that support from you.

If you had to sum up your experience, up to this point, with Scottfield Theatre Company’s production of 42^nd Street in just one word, what word would you use?

Katelyn: I’d probably say supportive. There’s a lot of people that have your back and they want to see the best in you and they want you to succeed. So— supportive!

42^nd Street plays April 12^th 2024 through April 21^st 2024 with Scottfield Theatre Company currently in residence at the Cultural Center at The Havre de Grace Opera House— 121 N. Union Street in historic downtown Havre de Grace, MD. For tickets call the box office at 667-225-8433 or purchase them online.