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NY Theater: “A Chorus Line” has timeless dancing but dated storyScore and choreography are luminous; harassment of dancers isn’tBy Lucy Komisar“A Chorus Line,” conceived, choreographed and directed by Michael Bennett, became a legend after it opened on Broadway more than 30 years ago. It won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and ran for 15 years. Perhaps time has dimmed its luster, or what was shocking or unconformist then is now just ho-hum. The dancing is still exciting, but the story (book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante) often seems offensive rather than groundbreaking.
The stories are intimate, quite a few about the anguish of gay men in the closet, which was a shocker then but not now. One is about a woman whose body is not deemed attractive enough, so she has it surgically fixed. And there are problems with parents and peers. Why do we need to know these things? And what do they really have to do with dancing? This seems an early example of invasive “reality show” intrusions into people’s private affairs for the sake of nosy audiences. Was the purpose to show that dancers had tough lives? Well, so do many people in other professions. And one might have told the stories without virtually extorting them as Zach, under Bob Avian’s direction, appears to do. Of course, the point here is that the man the dancers depend on to advance their careers is nasty. So are people with power in many other kinds of work.
Now, if one could keep the dancing and reinvent the story line…. “A Chorus Line.” Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante. Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Conceived by Michael Bennett. Directed by Bob Avian. Choreography by Baayork Lee. Sets by Robin Wagner. Costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge. Starring Ken Alan, Brad Anderson, Michelle Aravena, David Baum, Michael Berresse, Mike Cannon, E. Clayton Cornelious, Natalie Cortez, Charlotte d’Amboise, Mara Davi, Joey Dudding, Pamela Fabello, Lyndy Franklin, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Deidre Goodwin, Tyler Hanes, Nadine Isenegger, James T. Lane, Lorin Latarro, Paul McGill, Heather Parcells, Michael Paternostro, Alison Porter, Jeffrey Schecter, Yuka Takara, Jason Tam, Grant Turner, Chryssie Whitehead, Tony Yazbeck. Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W. 45 St. Mon - Sat 8 pm; Wed & Sat 2 pm. Running time 2:05. $86.25 - $111.25. 20 tickets at $20 (limit two per person) day of performance at box office through ticket lottery. Lottery tickets distributed 2½ hours before performance (11:30 am for matinee, 5:30 pm for evening); drawing 2 hours before performance. 212-239-6200. http://www.achorusline.com/. Photos by Paul Kolnik. |
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TM
Let
me explain. Zach (Michael Berresse), the director-choreographer, who is
auditioning dancers for a Broadway show, conducts a virtual inquisition,
insisting that the dancers tell him intimate details of their lives. It’s never
clear just why Zach has to know. The dancers don’t want to do it – who really
would? -- but they need the work. He’ll pick eight out of 17 for the chorus.
All
that said, the jazzy show dancing by Baayork Lee, restaging Avian’s original
choreography, is, of course, exhilarating. Cassie (Charlotte d’Amboise), the
older dancer who had lived with Zach and walked out on him, is smashing as she
demands, “Give me a job.” Her voice reverberates with an unforgettable Broadway
sound. Diana (Natalie Cortez) is witty and charming in her number about the High
School of Music and Art. There’s plenty of talent on that line, though a few of
the characters are pokey or tired or unnecessarily stereotyped.
The
signature melodies (music by Marvin Hamlisch), “Give me your attention” and
“She’s the one,” are everything you want from the musical stage. The best number
is the glittering gold close, “One,” a glorious dance about dreams and
illusions, with performers in straw and top hats and bowlers that conjure up Bob
Fosse. (“One….singular sensation.” Remember?) The movements are exciting and
vibrant, the kicks and twirls of lines in sync mesmerize. And the dancers,
dressed alike in a shimmering gold that melds their individuality into a blazing
unity, shows what deserves our attention.