[NEohioPAL]Berko review: A CHORUS LINE (Carousel)

[Roy Berko]

CAROUSEL’S  ‘CHORUS LINE’ GRABS THE GOLD RING!

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


So there is no question about the basis of this
review:  I am ‘A CHORUS LINE’ fanatic.  I love the
show!   This affection carries with it a problem...I
go into productions of the show, which I’ve seen
probably 15 times, with the fear that the
director/choreographer/actors are going to give me
visual and emotional mind-burn.  Fear not in going to
the production of the show at Carousel Dinner Theatre.
 It is one of the best I’ve seen, including the three
times I experienced it on Broadway.

‘A CHORUS LINE’ was originally conceived, directed,
and choreographed by Michael Bennett, the recognized
genius of theatre choreographers.  It has music by
Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban. The book
was assembled by James Kirkwood (an Elyria native) and
Nicholas Dante.   After a successful Off-Broadway run,
the show opened at the Shubert Theatre in 1975 and
closed in 1990 after 6,137 performances, making it one
of the Great White Way’s longest running shows.

‘A CHORUS LINE’ dominated the 1975 Tony Awards.  It
also won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, one of the few
musicals ever to receive that honor.

The setting is a Broadway theater. Young hopefuls are
auditioning for a job in the chorus line of a musical.
  As each speaks, sings and dances we learn about
their hopes, insecurities and dreams.

The script was not written by the traditional means of
a writer scribbing a plot.  ‘A CHORUS LINE’  began as
a workshop "share" session. A group of dancers met
after rehearsals for other shows to talk about their
personal and professional lives. The sessions were
tape recorded, written down, and a libretto was pieced
together. Their combined work, guided closely by
Bennett, resulted in a staging scheme that filled the
songs and book with overlapping layers.  A little
known fact is that comedy writer Neil Simon was called
in to do some uncredited book doctoring, adding some
of the great one-liners. 

When it opened in New York, ‘A CHORUS LINE’ was hailed
as:  “The best blending of all the elements of musical
theatre yet achieved by a theatre artist.”

What helps make the show unique, besides the manner in
which it was written, is Bennett’s choreography. 
Throughout his career he used a unique style of dance
for each show.   For ‘A CHORUS LINE,’ he incorporated
what he called "cinematic staging." There is a
constant "jump-cutting" as the audience's attention is
shifted from one figure to another.  This draws focus
to the character by placing the visual spotlight on
that person.  Bennett also used a series of mirrors to
spotlight performers and make them stand out bigger
than life in the eyes of the audience.

Instead of a standard plot, the show has what might be
called a "staging scheme."   This allows for each
character to tell us his or her story in verbal or
musical form.  For example, "I Can Do That" has Mike
recalling his first experience with dance, watching
his sister's dance class when he was a pre-schooler. 
"At The Ballet" is a poignant tribute to Sheila, Bebe,
and Maggie who found escape in the beauty of ballet. 
"Sing" comically makes it cringe-ably clear that
Kristine is tone deaf. In "Hello Twelve, Hello
Thirteen, Hello Love" all of the dancers share
memories of their traumatic early teens.  In “Nothing”
Puerto Rican, Diana, recollects the affect on her
resulting from a horrible high school acting class,
and in "Dance Ten, Looks Three," Val explains that
talent doesn't count for everything with casting
directors. 

The Carousel production, under the direction and
choreography of Donna Drake, who was in the original
Broadway show, is almost perfectly conceived.  She
wisely reproduces the original choreography of Michael
Bennett and Bob Avian.  She is aided by the fact that
all but two of the actors have previously appeared in
professional productions of the show.  This meant that
the four to six-day usual prep time given to Carousel
directors were spent polishing, rather than creatiing.
 Most professional, and even amateur productions,
rehearse four to six weeks before they open but due to
financial constraints Carousel has a short rehearsal
time and uses the first week of the run to polish the
show which sometimes leaves the early performances a
little ragged.  Not so with this show.

The cast is generally excellent.  Highlight
performances were given by Kathryn Mowat Murphy whose
Cassie was the best I’ve seen.  That is saying a lot
as I saw Donna McKechnie do the show several times. 
Murphy adds a special dimension to what many consider
to be the overly long dance segment ”The Music and the
Mirror.”  Her fine acting, as well as her dancing
abilities, help flesh out the pivotal character.  

Scottie Gage, as Paul, stands on a dark stage in a
solo spotlight and exposes his painful past in a heart
rending monologue. It is one of the most challenging
moments the musical theater offers an actor.  Gage
captivates the audience with a performance that is
mesmerizing.  

Elena Gutierrez has a wonderful singing voice and
nails the role of the hispanic Diana.  Jessica
Goldyn’s “Dance:  Ten; Looks: Three” was a show
stopper.  (Little known local fact--Elyria’s Crissy
Wilczak was in the original production of the show and
often performed “Dance:  Ten”.)  Kristopher
Thompson-Bolden lights up the stage as Ritchie.

The only flaw in the production was the staging of the
speech preceding “What I Did for Love” in which the
characters reveal why they are willing to put up with
the stress and humiliation which is part of being a
Broadway chorus member.  The scene, which is supposed
to be an interaction between the characters was, for
some inexplicable reason, relayed directly to the
audience.  This forced characters to come forward,
speak, and then backpedal into their original
positions.  Having the actors“talking to each other”
would have been much more effective and believable.

More than a quarter century after its premiere, ‘A
CHORUS LINE’ remains one of the ultimate expressions
of what the musical theater can be, should be.  This
belief is affirmed by the fact that the show will soon
be revived on Broadway.  Members of the Carousel cast
have been invited to try out for that production.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  CAROUSEL’S  ‘A CHORUS LINE’ IS A
TOP LEVEL PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION OF A GREAT MUSICAL! 
 SEE IT!!

For tickets  call 800-362-4100.  Show times are
Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Friday
and Saturday evenings at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday evenings
at 5.  Matinees are on Wednesday and Saturday at 2. 
Dinner is served two hours prior to curtain.  Ticket
prices range from $27 to $47.50.

Carousel’s next production is Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ to be staged from
July 13-September 10.  If your child received an “A”
on his or her last report card call to find out about
the “Got an A?” promotion!  ‘FOOTLOOSE,’ the electric
dancing musical, follows from September 15-November
12.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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