The themes of discovering who you are and what you want from life resonate as strongly today as ever and I suspect will be just as strong in another half-century. On a bare stage with no props, each of these actors inhabits the characters they represent, creating an emotional connection with the audience that is evident in the length of applause following each song.ĭespite references to popular 1970s actors as if they were popular today (Bon Goulet anyone?) and some throwback to 1970s fashion in the costume design by Sarah Cubbage, A Chorus Line manages to remain as fresh and contemporary as it was when it premiered nearly 45 years ago. The singing throughout this production is good of course, but what really pulls Signature’s A Chorus Line over the edge from good to great is the acting. The cast of ‘A Chorus Line’ at Signature Theatre. Both have soaring voices that fill the theater, hitting notes that seem impossible with ease. Two standout singers are Samantha Marisol Gershman as Diana and Kayla Pecchioni who plays Maggie. The music for the show by Marvin Hamlisch, with lyrics by Edward Kleban, is the stuff of musical theater legend and includes “What I Did for Love” and “Hello, Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love,” an ensemble piece that allows many characters to tell snippets of their story within the context of the song. They’ve done an admirable job adapting the choreography to work with Signature’s smaller stage while still keeping the look and feel of the original work. Michael Bennett’s original choreography for the show is considered so integral to the storytelling that the producers at Signature had to get special permission from Bennett’s estate to reimagine the show with new eyes. In particular, Emily Tyra as Cassie and Trevor Michael Schmidt as Mike somehow manage to perform outrageous feats of dance while singing songs that would make most singers breathless. The ensemble numbers, especially the iconic “One” are perfectly choreographed and performed and individual songs really let the performers shine. Even for dance-heavy shows, this one has a lot of dancing and the actors need to be able to not just move but sing well at the same time. The first thing you are likely to notice about this show is just how good the dancing is. Each story is captivating, and Signature’s small theater really does connect the audience to the actors in a way few other productions have been able to replicate. The production is performed in one act and is a little more than 2 hours long and it went by in a flash. The miracle of this show is that as each of the wonderful people before us tells his or her story, the story within a story becomes riveting, as the characters draw out painful relationships with mom or dad, each other, and with themselves. and Nicholas Dante takes place at just one audition where in addition to dancing their hearts out, the hopeful performers are asked to also pour out their souls in order to land this show and keep their Broadway dreams alive. There’s not much of a plot in A Chorus Line.
SING THE CHORUS LINE FULL
Luckily, Signature Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature’s Passion and Billy Elliot ) and Tony Award-nominated Choreographer Denis Jones (Broadway’s Tootsie, Signature’s Crazy for You ) managed to find an entire stage full of these unicorns, gifting the audience with an intimate production of the iconic musical that will leave you feeling as if each of the characters is a personal friend who you desperately want to get the job. On Sesame Street, it was covered by 10 Muppet numbers in a chorus line.In the theater world, a performer who is a true triple threat – one with the ability to perform at the highest levels as an actor, singer, and dancer all at the same time – is rare. In 1976, the Brady family performed the song in the pilot episode of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
The song was covered in Sesame Street and featured in the home video 123 Count with Me. The Davis Enterprise dubbed it the show's "signature tune". The uniqueness that made them all so interesting throughout the show has now been damaged by the reality of show business.ĬityBeat described the song as "the show’s greatest emotional wallop". They are all wearing uniforms so it is impossible to tell them apart. The dancers finally dance the chorus number for an unnamed and unseen star. I don't believe in bows, just the fade out. I want the audience to walk out of the theatre saying, 'Those kids shouldn't be in a chorus!' And I want people in the audience to go to other shows and think about what's really gone into making that chorus . . . Director Michael Bennett explained his view regarding the song's inception and placement within the show:
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