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Review: A revitalized Chorus Line remains emphatically in-step with the times
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Photo by Paul Kolnik
First produced in 1975, A Chorus Line became an instant critical and commercial sensation, riveting audiences with a behind-the-scenes dramatization of the nerve-racking Broadway audition process for aspiring dancers. An unparalleled success, A Chorus Line would win nine Tony Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, Best Musical honors from the New York Drama Critics Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. By the time the original production closed in 1990, A Chorus Line had distinguished itself as the longest running show in Broadway history. With such a revered history potential revivals would seem doomed to becoming a mere imitation of past glory. Remarkably those concerns are completely vanquished by the impassioned new production now playing at the Orpheum Theatre that infuses the original work with an urgency of feeling that belongs solely to the here and now.
Excepting a mirrored backdrop, A Chorus Line begins on an unadorned stage where a large number of dancers are in the midst of a grueling audition. After a first round of cuts, the reduced group of 17 finds their backgrounds, insecurities, and aspirations being inquired into by the intimidating off-stage voice of the director. Determined to be one of the final cast of 8, each dancer voices confessional personal details that range from the light-hearted plight of a tone-deaf dancer to painful childhood recollections of parental abandonment and schoolyard ridicule.
Knowing the intimate details of these characters makes their desire for a place on the line all the more relatable. It’s a powerful plot device that’s has since been adopted by reality television, but without the heart or compassion – which is exactly why this production of A Chorus Line resonates so strongly. Unlike reality television, the more time we spend with these characters, the more sympathetic each becomes, reflecting the joy and heartbreak of anyone that has ever struggled to realize a dream.
Take, for example, the role of Val as played with delightful mirth by Mindy Dougherty. Her skills as a dancer matched only by her lust for fame, Val is ambition personified – most memorably during her solo turn on “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three” as she advises on how the right, um, physical enhancements can do more for a career than actual talent.
Or, for another example, consider the moving performance of “At the Ballet” by Sheila, Bebe, and Maggie as played by, respectfully, Emily Fletcher, Deanna Aguinaga (substituting for Dena Digiacinto), and Hollie Howard in which the world of performance art becomes a surrogate family and the stage a transformative place capable of making anyone feel beautiful. Each of the three talented performers find the vitality of their characters in stirring admissions that powerfully convey their need to be on stage.
No less can be said for the rest of the cast, each of whom imbue their roles with an emotional depth that runs far deeper than the standard Broadway musical. Under the direction of the show’s original co-choreographer, Bob Avian, each character reveal occurs with a natural fluidity that rarely slows. In fact, the pace only really slackens during the play’s two most emotionally evocative moments, one each entrusted to performers Bryan Knowlton and Robyn Hurder.
As Paul, a gay former drag performer, Bryan Knowlton crafts a delicately nuanced performance that captures his character’s craving for acceptance – both from others and from himself. In his short time in the spotlight, Knowlton creates an inspiring depiction of self-determination up against self-doubt. That we feel so galvanized by the struggle is a testament to Knowlton’s assured performance.
Likewise, the role of aging performer Cassie reflects the need to abandon past mistakes in order to reclaim her life. As played by Robyn Hurder, Cassie’s inner desperation is as palpable as her frustration with the director’s inability to see beyond their shared history. It’s a tremendously affecting performance made even more gripping by Hurder’s mesmerizing movements during “The Music and the Mirror.”
Speaking of movement, the kinetic choreography staged by Baayork Lee (modeled after the original production) is thrilling throughout. At any given moment the stage is poised for a burst of precisely realized movement. Versatility rules the production, but always in context of the character, from tap dancing tryouts to ballroom reveries. It’s a boundlessly energetic production that stands still only for momentary breathes of reflection.
The lighting design by Tharon Musser and adapted by Natasha Katz powerfully captures the mood of any given scene. From the harsh brightness framing the characters during their interviews to the soft cross-currents that cast a glow over dance sequences, the inspired lighting effectively bridges the distance between the dancers’ dreams and their reality.
At the completion of A Chorus Line, the characters perform in identical attire, blurring the visual distinction between one another. But although obscured by a larger whole, we now know that the myriad lives of the chorus line are each unique and essential. Even if for only one moment, though talent fades and bodies break, each performer will have had a moment on the line. With such a vibrant realization of the dream, this production of A Chorus Line will surely leave audiences equally spellbound.
A Chorus Line runs at the Orpheum Theatre through June 21st.
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