When A Chorus Line debuted on Broadway in 1975, it would go on to be the longest running musicalin history with over 6,137 performances, until it was surpassed by Cats in 1997. It remains the seventh longest running Broadway show. A film adaptation starring Michael Douglas soon followed. It quickly became apparent that this was a show that would remain popular with theatregoers.
A Chorus Line is set during the audition process for an upcoming Broadway production. After the first round, the director, Zach (Julian Dods) cuts the 24 dancers down to 17. From that point, Zach wants to know about the background of each of the dancers and why they got started in dance. Over the course of the show, each of the dancers gets their chance in the spotlight as they reluctantly describe the events that have shaped their lives.
Their stories are interesting, humours and often tragic. The audience learns stories from the dancers, ranging from Mark (Liam Moroney) and his awkward adolescence, to Connie (Rena Hattori)lamenting her lack of height, to Paul’s (Nathan Fernandez) difficult upbringing.There were many amazing musical numbers in A Chorus Line that I thoroughly enjoyed, including the ensemble opening song “I Hope I Get It” and “One” the big finale piece. Some of the characters had their own their musical pieces such as “Sing”, a funny song about Kristine (Sherylee Campbell) who can’t sing and “Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love” by Mark on being a teenager. Despite therebeing some minor sound issues on opening night with mics dropping out, the talent onstage was obvious.
The cast gave it their all. At times, it was easy to forget that I was watching a scripted show and felt that it was a real audition to a live audience, that we have all become accustomed to, with all the talent TV shows on now. It was hard to pin down who was the best performer out of the 17 cast members and although there are many characters, the show does not rush, giving time for each character to the have their moment. An effective technique was having Zach, the director talking to the characters from on high offstage, making the interrogation of the characters’ past feel uncomfortable and invasive, akin to TV contestants talking to an off-camera, off-screen Big Brother.A Chorus Line was way ahead of its time when it was released and no doubt resonates more now than ever before with the abundance of reality talent shows like The Voice and Got Talent, where it is all nothing but cut-throat auditions and backstories. For theatregoers and for anyone who has auditioned for roles in film, TV and theatre, there will be a real appreciation and understanding of A Chorus Line.
A Chorus Line is directed by Tahra Cannon and is produced by the independent theatre companyTheatrical. It was conceived and originally directed by Michael Bennett. The musical stars Julian Dods, Teresa Giansiracusa, Ollie Bell, Sherylee Campbell, Lyla Digrazia, Claudia Ciempka, Chloe Terry, Rena Hattori, Oscar Waters IV, Tony Cassar, Madeline Pratt, Nathan Fernandez, Caitlyn Serong, Jerome Eccleston, Manda Rozen-Flannery, Thomas Boyd, Imogene White, Liam Moroney, Scott England.
A Chorus Line is now playing for a strictly limited season until and including Sunday 22 September at The National Theatre on the corner of Barkly and Carlisle Streets, St Kilda. The running time is approximately 2 Hours and 20 Minutes including a 20-minute intermission. It contains coarse language, sexual reference and adult themes and is suitable for mature audiences. To learn more about the show and buy tickets, go to, https://nationaltheatre.org.au/a-chorus-line/
