This is a show steeped in humanity, offering complex contrast to its bare-bones physical aesthetic. How did a minimalist, existential musical with prominent themes of rejection and isolation become an overnight Broadway sensation? The answer can be found in writers James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante’s endearing and emotionally naked characterizations, owing much to the original interviews, as well as to Edward Kleben’s lyrics, combined with Marvin Hamlisch’s jazzy melodies.
Hewn from 24 hours of candid interviews with Broadway dancer-actors, the show features a bare stage with a god’s eye view of a line of desperate performers, waiting for their chance either to shine or get the stick. The 2006 revival ran two years and was followed by a national tour. But the very nature of A Chorus Line, which shows us how tough it can be on the other side of the footlights, means that all is instantly forgiven.įirst mounted in April 1975 at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, A Chorus Line proved so popular that it was rushed to Broadway within a few months, where it stayed for 15 years, winning 10 Tonys and a Pulitzer. It’s almost like casting by lottery, and with so little rehearsal time, it’s all but inevitable that an actor might occasionally stumble or hit a sour note. This talented core offsets occasional lapses by relative musical neophytes like Sabrina Bryan ( Dancing With the Stars), Disney heartthrob Ross Lynch ( Austin & Ally) and Mario Lopez as Zach, the disembodied voice of the director who lords it over the hopefuls in a grueling audition process.
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