BWW Reviews: Every Little Step of Marc Robin's New A CHORUS LINE is a Sensation At the Fulton

Is any piece of American musical theatre more iconic than A CHORUS LINE? Michael Bennett's conception and choreography, James Kirkwood's and Nicholas Dante's book, Edward Kleban's lyrics and Marvin Hamlisch's music, right down to the vamp that even non-theatre-goers know by heart, have been seared into the American consciousness for over 40 years. Can anything be said about it that has not been said before? To be honest - yes, and a great deal, if the production is Marc Robin's A CHORUS LINE at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster.

Not the least of which is this: It may just be better than the original, at least for a modern audience. It is certainly the most important production that the Fulton has had in a very long time, and that it originated at the Fulton should be a delight to local theatre fans.

Those statements are not made lightly. There are those who consider the original both perfect and sacred. In deference to those lovers of the original show, they have not yet seen this production, and they should indeed see it. It would, in fact, serve that lucky portion of the population that loves musical theatre well if this production went on the road.

Both in choreography, as previously announced, and in directorial vision, Marc Robin has both modernized the show and made it visually stunning. Rather than setting it on an empty stage in a theatre, the location has been moved to a rehearsal hall. This allows for several other things to be changed, not the least of which is placing the male lead, Zach, the director, played by Nathaniel Shaw (known to Fulton audiences as Curly in OKLAHOMA) on stage. No longer the unseen "voice of God" to the audience and the dancers, Zach becomes considerably more human and his relationship with Cassie, the now-unemployed star dancer, clearer. The effect is considerably more successful, it should be noted, than it was in the film version of the show. Shaw is a very fine Zach, but then, the entire cast in this show has been surprisingly perfectly cast; those who know the show well should be able to identify many if not most of the major characters by sight when they first appear on stage, so true are they to the originally-conceived casting.

Robin's Cassie is Jessica Lee Goldyn, who has played Cassie several times, and who replaced Charlotte d'Amboise as Cassie in the Broadway revival of this past decade after playing Val. (Television viewers may also have seen her in the first season of SMASH.) All legs, hair, and talent, Goldyn simply is Cassie, noticeable to the audience from the moment the show begins. And yes, she can dance. This reviewer's only serious complaint about the directorial perspective of this revival is the inclusion of a pas de deux between Cassie and Zach in "The Music and the Mirror" - although it is a spectacular piece of dancing, and Goldyn finds Shaw to be as fine a dance partner as the audience will agree he is, it does detract slightly from Cassie's moment in the spotlight; it may also be just that much too much of an emphasis on the Zach/Cassie personal dynamic.

Although as noted, the cast is uniformly fine, there are certain standouts. Marisa Rivera's DiAna Morales is noteworthy, her "Nothing" and her performance of the iconic "What I Did For Love" both show stoppers. Kristy Cavanaugh's Val is responsible for "Dance 10, Looks 3" (better known to audiences and album listeners alike as "Tits and Ass"), a delightfully stage-striding, scenery-chomping moment of raucous humor that has the audience cheering for her despite everything. And Kevin Curtis, from the national tour of the Broadway revival, in "Hello Twelve" and other moments, is, as Richie, a ball of unrestrained energy who encapsulates all of the great humor that is to be found in many of the moments of this show.

Special mention should be made of Gabriel Malo, who plays Paul, the Puerto Rican-posing-as-Italian dancer. It's noteworthy in and of itself that Paul's story doesn't feel dated after 42 years (a sad reflection on America), but he is also a Brazilian actor performing in his first U.S. musical. He is certainly a fine dancer, but he is also clearly a talented actor, handling Paul's personal disclosures to Zach and his emotional meltdown as well as has ever been done. One may hope to see more of his work in this country.

But the true star of this show isn't Zach, it isn't Cassie, it isn't the ensemble. It's the choreography. It has been bandied about that this is a Fosse-inspired reinterpretation of Bennett. It's true that Robin has made the major ensemble numbers much more Fosse, much more 1930's-inspired. And it works, seamlessly. There is also some clear Fosse in some of the small-group moments, harking back to ALL THAT JAZZ. But some of the group dance during the montages also has flashes of HAIR, and one of the most astonishing dance moments in the show comes as a backup to the plaintive "At the Ballet," when a group of dancers perform from "Swan Lake" behind the singers, visually displaying the women's memories of how beautiful everything was. Like several other moments in this production, the recognition that this is a true improvement to the original is unavoidable. The use of the dance flashbacks where Robin has placed them is both ingenious and successful; the ballet flashback is extraordinary. Additionally, Robbie Roby's tap routine as Mike in "I Can Do That" is a show-stopping piece of art that will delight tap enthusiasts endlessly. (Amateur hoofers need not apply; leave this tapping to the experts.)

Marc Robin is not a better choreographer than Michael Bennett, no. But his vision for this show is spot-on, reflecting his years as a dancer, and it will be a loss to this show if this choreography is not performed again. This is without doubt some of the finest original choreography that has been done in this region, and it deserves a wider audience.

Nathaniel Shaw says of his part, "Off stage, I'm stretching myself in directing and choreography. Two years ago it wouldn't have made sense for me to play Zach - now, this works. I've worked with Marc Robin before and it's always a joy, but this entire process has allowed for so many things to happen."

Jessica Lee Goldyn observes of the new choreography that "my muscle memory didn't bother me with the show, even in 'The Music and the Mirror,' because it's so different from the original. The finale, though, was tricky for me. It's paying homage to Michael Bennett while being so different, too." Kevin Curtis, who has worked with Baayork Lee and others involved in creating the show, says, "This is a fresh, new concept. As an actor I'm always wanting to do something new and something original... but you know. I have toe original ingrained in me. There were some moments of frustration when I was rehearsing that I had to strip away. With the new routines, I felt like I was really on the line at some points even though I've done this show since I was 21."

Chloe Hurst, playing Judy, sums up the show for the cast: "Those tears we cry every night when we discuss what we'd do if we couldn't dance any more? They're real tears."

At the Fulton through March 30, and not to be missed by any dance lover. Call 717-397-7425 or visit www.thefulton.org for tickets.

Photo credit: Urdaneta Photography

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