A Very 'Real' Singular Sensation: The Newest Production of 'A Chorus Line'

On July 25^th, 1975, a concept musical about a group of dancers auditioning for a role in the line opened on Broadway. 6,137 performances later, A Chorus Line had danced its way into history books as the longest running musical in Broadway history. To this day, the show is one of the most beloved stories to light up a marquee.

With the much anticipated Broadway revival planned to open in the fall of 2006, Geva/> Theatre/> Center/> in Rochester/> NY/>/> is one of the last theatres to obtain the rights to perform this dazzling show.

For those in the theatre industry, A Chorus Line provides a reflection of their own experiences. "It can't get any more real than this. This is our lives" said Carlos Lopez (Al), a veteran of eight Broadway shows, including the Broadway and world tour productions of A Chorus Line. "It's reality theatre."

As a result of the current 'reality' craze sweeping the nation's television airwaves, A Chorus Line should feel very familiar to audiences. Television shows such as 'The Apprentice' were predated by decades when these 17 chorus line hopefuls first tried for their own job of a lifetime.

"This is so real," says Robin Campbell (Kristine), who is performing in the show for the first time. "A lot of reality television shows put people in unrealistic, false environments, but this actually what we go through all of the time. It hits so close to home."

This production is directed by Geva's Artistic Director Mark Cuddy, who is in his 10^th year with the theatre. According to Mr. Cuddy, though audiences might come in slightly jaded to the joys and heartbreak involved with the journey, "our job is to connect the audience to their own truths."

For the 26 actors involved in this production, conveying the truth of their experiences is paramount. Each portrayal is a finely woven combination of the creator's intent and the actor's personal experience. "It's our responsibility to portray these stories as real as possible, so people can understand," says Mr. Lopez. "That's what makes A Chorus Line so great. As an audience member, you really want to see what's going to happen to these 17 people. You want to see their progression through it."

The kind of emotion that radiates from the stage is not something that can simply be 'acted'. Ms. Campbell notes that there are many moments in the show that speak directly to the actor, "at the very end when we get called up, and we find out that we've been cut… That moment is so intense for me."

The intensity that she speaks of is part of what makes the show special. The production is being choreographed by Danny Herman, who according to Cuddy "has brought a fierce intensity into this production, a sort of, 'you've got to want it, and you've got to dance like your life depended on it.'" Mr. Herman is a veteran choreographer and dancer, who has appeared on Broadway in such shows as Contact, Song and Dance, and A Chorus Line.

"Danny Herman is one of the guys who defined the character of 'Mike'," says Mr. Lopez.

With so many connections to the original Broadway production of this show, this particular mounting includes much of the sparkle that has made A Chorus Line such a phenomenon.

One of the reasons that the show is such a success according to director Cuddy is in the choreography. "This show is so well structured. There is this dance 'spine', which is the emotional river that runs through the show." The use of dance to connect to the emotion of the piece so consistently is something that audiences don't often have the opportunity to see.

Don't miss your opportunity to see this fabulous production of the theatrical legend, A Chorus Line.

A Chorus Line runs at the Geva/> Theatre/> Center/> in Rochester/>, NY/>/> now through July 10th. Tickets cost between $18.50 and $53.50 and can be purchased at the box office by calling (585) 232-GEVA or online at www.gevatheatre.org.