A Chorus Line may have won 9 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize but this production was sadly lacking. Some have said that A Chorus Line is dated, I would have to disagree many of the topics that it covers are just as relevant today and some more so.
A Chorus Line is not an easy musical to put on. No, it is not technically difficult, no, it doesn't have big set changes, location challenges and costumes to organise. Quite the opposite which is the challenge, if the music, singing, acting and dancing are not all 100% you can't fall back on props and scenery to help keep the audience captivated.
The Chorus Line is just that, it is an audition of a Chorus Line for a musical. You hear the stories from the individual dancers, about their lives, their dreams and how they have got where they are. Some of the stories are full of hope, some full of pain, some contain prejudice and others concerned about their appearance; are they too old, too ugly? The stories which are either sung or narrative are interspersed with dance numbers.
There is no interval in A Chorus Line and for this production that was an issue. The show lacked energy in places and some of the choreography was repetitive and uninspiring. It was a shame because it started very well and the audience were really pumped. But once the first cull of dancers was over and we started on the individual stories it started to loose momentum. Many found it very hard to sit through the two hours fifteen minutes and some people even left just before the end. There were many comical moments which balanced well with some of the darker stories that were told.
I hope this was just opening night nerves and that during the season it will become a little tighter and have more momentum. It was all the qualities to make a good production and the orchestra were excellent.
A Chorus Line is playing at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney until 11 August
If you have seen it please leave a comment about what you thought.
