A Chorus Line

Broward Stage Door Theater
Conceived and Originally Directed and

Choreographed by Michael Bennett
Directed and Choreographed by Kevin Black and

Co-Choreographed by Bob Avian
Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante
Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics by Edward Kleban

Classic Musical Gets Classy Performance

What a brilliant idea it was for choreographer Tony Stevens to tape the frank conversations of a troupe of dancers attending workshops. The idea for A Chorus Line evolved from their honest, sometimes humorous, but also often painful, personal histories.
In this musical, set entirely on the bare stage of a Broadway audition where fervent — even desperate — dancers vie for roles. Eighteen hopefuls will be culled to eight (four boys, four girls). They dance, showing their skills, and they reluctantly answer questions from a demanding director. As they reveal themselves, their experiences ring with universal truths. This is a play to see more than once, at different stages of life.

Youngsters will resonate to the stories of youthful struggles — as in the tale of a 4-year olds introduction to dance when accompanying his disinterested older sister to her lessons. Adults will sympathize with the struggles to attain perfection — from technique to plastic surgery. And those of us in the mostly senior citizen audience here in Florida respond to the question: “What happens when you are no longer able to dance?”
The answer to this profound question is in the haunting song “What I Did for Love” which sums up all that has gone before, and makes all the struggle, travail and risk worthwhile.
The singing is wonderful, the choreography splendid, the stories touching. A Chorus Line received 12 Tony Award nominations and won nine. In 1976, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 1985, it was made into a successful film.
Once again, the actors in this Stage Door Theater rise to the height of the material, creating magic on its intimate stage, remounting such classic works as Cabaret (last month), A Chorus Line (this month), and we can look forward to Bell Book and Candle May 15 to June 21.

Highly Recommended
Beverly Friend, PhD.
Member, American Theater Critics Assn.

Broward Stage Door Theatre, 8036 W. Sample Rd., Coral Springs, Fl 33065. http://stagedoortheatrefl.org 954-344-7765 .Tickets $38-42, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, through May 17. (Photo credit – George Wentzler)