A Chorus Line
Conceived and Orginally Directed and Choreographed by Michael Bennett
Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante
Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban
Directed by Gayle Seay
Choreographed by Dena DiGiacinto
STAGES St. Louis
September 14, 2022
Cast of A Chorus Line
Photo by Phillip Hamer Photography
STAGES St. Louis
A Chorus Line is a classic musical that’s oddly very much of its time while also being, in another way, ageless. It’s a show that ran for many years on Broadway and has been performed by countless theatre companies at many levels around the world for over four decades, but while elements of it are very tied to 1975, a good production is still as fresh and engaging as if it were a brand new show. STAGES St. Louis is closing out their 2022 season with just such a lively, thoughtful, thoroughly entertaining production.
The last time I saw this show was in a somewhat “opened up” staging at the Muny, and while I enjoyed that production, I think the show fits better in the smaller, more intimate setting at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, where STAGES is based. The set, by James Wolk, is extremely simple. For most of the show, there’s just a bare stage backed by mirrors, with a prominent line taped on the floor in front. While there are some excellent technical aspects to this production–including dazzling lighting by Sean M. Savoie and excellent detailed period costumes by Brad Musgrove–the heart and soul is the performers. The show is about the cast, and the act of casting in itself, as a group of dancers of various ages and stages in their careers vie for eight roles in the chorus of an upcoming Broadway show. Based on a series of interview sessions with real performers, the various stories are relatable especially to anyone who has been involved in “show business” at essentially any level.
The audition is a framing device for a series of vignettes and songs, highlighting various aspects of these dancers’ lives, from their desire to get a job (“I Hope I Get It”) to how they discovered dancing (“I Can Do That”, “At the Ballet”, etc.), and more, leading up to the well-known, glitzy finale “One”. Some characters are more prominent than others–like Cassie (Lauralynn McClelland), a one-time featured performer whose career has stalled and is hoping to start over in the chorus, much to the consternation of her ex-boyfriend Zach (Danny McHugh), who also happens to be the director of the show. There’s also the determined Diana (Megan Elyse Fulmer), who leads two prominent songs, including the classic “What I Did For Love” as an ode to the life of a performer; the tough-talking veteran dancer Sheila (Dana Winkle), who is concerned about “aging out” of the chorus; and Paul (Omar Garibay), whose heartbreaking and intensely personal monologue mid-show is one of the dramatic highlights. While there is a story and a premise, with the end goal of finding out who ultimately gets those coveted chorus roles, the real center of the drama is on the characters and their very human stories of artistic and career ambition, personal triumph and tragedy, and more.
The show is also very much about dance, and Dena DiGiacinto’s vibrant choreography is well-danced by the entire ensemble, and it’s fun to watch the opening number without knowing the characters’ names yet and trying to guess who is going to make the cut based on how they dance. Once the “line” of final contenders is chosen, as we get a chance to hear their stories, we also see them perform, and it’s an impressive cast all around. Standouts include McClelland as the down-on-her-luck but determined Cassie, who impresses with dazzling dance moves on her showcase number “The Music and the Mirror”. There are also memorable turns from Garibay as the sensitive Paul, Winkle as the bold Sheila, Caleb James Grochalaski as the eccentric Bobby, Ronan Ryan as the wide-eyed youngest dancer Mark, Sarah Chiu as the amiable Connie, and Fulmer as the devoted Diana. Everyone does an excellent job here, with fun comic moments particularly from Leah Hofmann as the somewhat flighty Judy and Ashley Klinger as the bubbly Kristine, whose main problem is that she can’t sing. McHugh also does a convincing job as the professionally demanding but personally conflicted director Zach. Every single member of the “line” deserves our time, and our attention, rewarding the audience with expertly crafted performances and strong dancing.
A Chorus Line is one of those “essential musicals” that’s important to see if you love musical theatre. It’s a well-deserved Pulitzer Prize winner that still speaks to the human condition nearly fifty years after its debut, even though it is also very much of its time in terms of the way its characters speak and articulate the influences on their lives. STAGES St. Louis has presented a production that lives up to the show’s reputation and conveys the spirit and energy of the piece with style and depth. It’s a crowd-pleaser as well, and a thrilling theatrical experience.
Cast of A Chorus Line
Photo by Phillip Hamer Photography
STAGES St. Louis
STAGES St. Louis is presenting A Chorus Line at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until October 9, 2022