![[Potomac Local News Review] ‘42nd Street’ at Riverside has got a lot of what it takes to make you smile](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7f7eb5889cb36dd8c93bd1/1690416235080-P37Y2VE9YVG1KATHP7K1/42ndStreet182.JPG)
[Potomac Local News Review] ‘42nd Street’ at Riverside has got a lot of what it takes to make you smile
The players returned to Riverside Center for the Performing Arts to present “42nd Street,” a story about a girl who moves from a small town to New York City to find fame on Broadway.
Riverside’s production of the high-energy show stars Andrea McArdle as Dorothy Brock, the seasoned star hired to make the fictitious show in the play, “Pretty Lady,” a hit. The iconic McArdle has appeared in several Broadway plays, including her heart-winning performance in the title role of “Annie” in 1977, a major musical based on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.”
![[Free Lance-Star] Letter: Experience Broadway in Virginia](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7f7eb5889cb36dd8c93bd1/1686237851310-CGSVX7517XVIRWYT8Y8M/ragtime092.JPG)
[Free Lance-Star] Letter: Experience Broadway in Virginia
The current production of “Ragtime” at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg is one of the best shows we’ve seen anywhere. The entire production is Broadway caliber, including the large, talented cast, singing, acting, dancing, live orchestra and elaborate set. The classic story is extremely moving and strikingly relevant to current issues facing our country. It focuses on three divergent families and how their lives converge over time. “Ragtime” is beautifully executed and is something special and memorable.
![[Free Lance-Star] Chasing the American dream: 'Ragtime the Musical' rolls into Riverside Center](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7f7eb5889cb36dd8c93bd1/1678987052396-GKCWM9NEO1Q40ADC72MD/ragtime078.jpg)
[Free Lance-Star] Chasing the American dream: 'Ragtime the Musical' rolls into Riverside Center
What has a nice ring to it? Twenty-five years after opening on Broadway, “Ragtime the Musical” will hit the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts stage during the theater’s very own 25th anniversary year.
The show — full of raw emotion and commanding tunes — débuted at Riverside yesterday and runs through May 7.
![[Free Lance-Star] Make a break for 'Escape to Margaritaville' at Riverside](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7f7eb5889cb36dd8c93bd1/1674162831534-4IXUMUUZJPDSLTZ86X8W/Margaritaville273.JPG)
[Free Lance-Star] Make a break for 'Escape to Margaritaville' at Riverside
The 25th season at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is kicking off with a big ole party.
That party comes in the form of Jimmy Buffett’s “Escape to Margaritaville,” which is loaded with sunny vibes, hints of romance and, oh yes, Buffett jams that span the classic to obscure spectrum. The show débuted at Riverside on Wednesday and runs through March 5.
“This is a show that has been doing incredibly well in regional theaters, primarily because it’s so laid-back and has a charming little message in the end,” said Patrick A’Hearn, producing artistic director at Riverside. “Besides, who doesn’t love a little fun in the sun, music and margaritas?”