Thursday, September 20, 2012
My Life at the Theater: A Chorus Line
I think I have seen A CHORUS LINE at least three times. And I would probably see it again. The playbill in my hand is from the Schubert Theater in New York in 1989. Sad that both Bennett and Hamlisch are gone now. If you love dance, love theater, love music, this one is for you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
In the early 70's I worked with Donna McKechnie's sister (they were from Troy, Michigan as you probably know) so got an early heads up as she was in COMPANY then. As soon as CHORUS LINE was announced we got tickets and saw it downtown, at the Public Theater, on July 12, 1975. This was (obviously) a much smaller, more intimate arena than the Shubert where it moved. We loved it. (Shelley Winters was sitting right behind us that night.)
We saw it again when it moved to Broadway and a couple more times in London at the huge Drury Lane Theatre. And yes, we saw the latest revival in 2006. And no, it was not the same this time around, but how could it be?
Jeff M.
Hi Patti
Her's my entry for FFB: Rex Stout's The Mother Hunt
http://inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2012/09/forgotten-book-r-is-for-rex-stouts.html
Thanks
I saw the musical in L.A. in the seventies as well. What made it especially meaningful for me was that I went with my sister, who was and still is a dancer.
Usually I run late for FFB.
It reminds me of the old Escapades or Holiday On Ice routine, where the ensemble skaters overlap arms and go around in a big circle and on by one skaters come out to join in. The early ones in the center--where the movement is slow--have no trouble getting connected.
But the later ones have a problem, because by then the circle is moving so fast. I recall seeing skaters in desperation to catch up. Every Friday I feel like one of them.
But I'm early today. Here's the link:
http://trackofthecat.blogspot.com/2012/09/fridays-forgotten-books-books-to-die.html
Patti - A Chorus Line is definitely a classic musical. Thanks for the reminder of it.
And I remember taking my daughter to it.
Fans of A CHORUS LINE should check out EVERY LITTLE STEP - the documentary about casting the recent Broadway revival (which was more like an attempt to be a perfect clone of the original). The combination of seeing and hearing the stories of the lives of the real life chorus line and the casting of the fictional chorus line itself based on the lives of real dancers makes for a very surreal and moving story. The layers are fascinating. Plus, you get to hear for the first time the recorded tapes Michael Bennett and four others made at the now famous party which gave birth to the characters and story line of the musical. Amazing stuff!
The more I think about it the more I realize A CHORUS LINE is not so much about theater and the dancer's life as it is about identity. "Who am I anyway? Am I my resume?" only scratches the surface of the identity theme. It's a powerful work that uses the theater world to talk about us all. And it does something all too rare in theater - it gives us a resonant transcendent experience.
Love that documentary, John.
Post a Comment