Review: A CHORUS LINE at Music Theater Heritage

An ambitious new production of “A Chorus Line,” opened this week inside Music Theater Heritage’s Grand Theater hidden away in Crown Center for a run through August 27.   Long-time Kansas City residents may remember the Grand Theater as the former Heartland Theater.  Audience members enter through the Crown Center parking structure, up an escalator, and into a sumptuous hidden lobby.  The Grand Theater is the largest of the MTH venues.

“A Chorus Line” is the ultimate backstage musical.  It opened at the Shubert Theater on Broadway on July 25, 1975 and continued for 6137 performances.  “A Chorus Line” became the longest running ever Broadway Musical play to that time.  Out of twelve Tony nominations, the show won nine Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and seven Drama Desk Awards.  Many of the actor nominations that were not declared Tony recipients were taken by other members of the same original cast.  

What makes “A Chorus Line” unique is its ability to tap into something personal that almost all audience members have experienced.  It is an audition, a cattle-call job interview, for all save Zach (played by Nathan Darrow).  Zach is the production director who conducts the interviews and who acts as the ultimate hiring manager.  The soon to be auditioned are known as Broadway Gypsies.  Each of us has (somehow) been there.

There are seventeen ensemble gypsies toeing a line on the stage for this never named show.  Gypsies are the heart and soul of every stage production. The competition to sing well and dance flawlessly is intense.  They have worked their butts off just for the right to try for this job.  They know that even if successful, this life has a limited span. An injury or time can will certainly end dance careers abruptly. Each hopeful has his or her own reason for wanting to be a member of the ensemble, plus his or her own demons.

The eight winners will be paid Equity minimum wage, learn to be in lock-step with their fellow cast members, and learn other parts so they can be prepared to step in if a leading character is ill or injured.  They know only eight of their number will be ultimately hired.  If successful, they will perform eight shows a week, but fade into the background of their show.  The effect of whatever these people are smoking must be intense for them to be so passionate about this work.

Director Zach is mostly unfamiliar with the potential cast members.  Their careers will live or die with what Zach sees here today.  The one exception is Cassie (played by Julie Pope).  Cassie is experienced.  She has been a featured player.  She is Zach’s former lover.   Cassie has previously dropped out for the chance to become a film actress.  She urgently needs to claw her way back into her old community.

What makes “A Chorus Line” such a hard show to pull off is that each cast member must be a star actor, singer, and dancer.  Except for the subplot with Cassie and Zach, there are no leading actors.

MTH’s “A Chorus Line” makes for a very credible, funny, entertaining, and emotional evening.  This is a big cast of seventeen and each delivers when asked to do so.  There are too many named characters to evaluate each, but all deserve to be identified.

Zach and Cassie have already been named.  Zach mainly sits high in the audience and puts the hopeful applicants through their paces although Nathan Darrow as Zach flashes moments of empathy for those who need it. 

Cassie (Julie Pope) is a veteran performer working to get back into the ensemble.  She has only a single line or two in Act One.  Cassie’s breakout comes in Act Two as her former relationship with Zach is on full display.  Her performance of “The Music and the Mirror” is a show-stopper.

The ensemble is Bryce Bayer (Gregory), Sydnee Bell (Judy), Natalie Carrera (Diana), Angel Z. Duong (Sheila), Cortez Emerson (Ritchie), Chaz Feuerstine (Al), Mckenna Harvey (Kristine), Thomas Blake Hogan (Mike), Camille Jett (Bebe), Madoka Koguchi (Connie), Johnny Dinh Phan (Mark), Tony Pulford (Paul), Megan Secrest (Maggie), Erik Sobbe (Dan), Weston Thomas (Bobbie) and Maryann Traxler (Val).  

Standout turns come from Angel Z. Duong (Shelia) “At The Ballet,” Maryann Traxler (Val) “Looks,” and Natalie Carrera (Diana) and the ensemble) “What I Did For Love.” Also deserving a mention is Tony Pulford (Paul) for his heart- rending experience about unintentionally coming out to his family.  The signature of the show is the iconic ensemble piece “One.”

“A Chorus Line” grew organically as the result of two hundred taped interviews in 1974 with a wide selection of actor/dancers who have devoted themselves to this craft.  It is said that the original idea appeared as the result of a meeting to create a workshop side-business.  The interviews were eventually culled down to a script by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, along with strong input from original Director and Choreographer Michael Bennett.

Music for “Chorus Line” was written by Marvin Hamlisch and Lyrics by Edward Kleban.  The music is excellent. Well-known selections include the opener “I Hope I Get It ,“ “The Music And The Mirror,” “What I Did For Love,” and the iconic “One” reprised several times and at the curtain.    

Most of the gypsy auditioners are archetypes.  Zach and Cassie are thought to be modeled on Michael Bennett himself and the original Cassie played by Donna McKechnie.  Bennett and McKechnie are thought to have had a relationship prior to the show in real life.      

“A Chorus Line” is directed by MTH Artistic Director Tim Scott.  Crucial choreography is designed by Kenny Personett.  Musical Direction is by Ty Tuttle also fronting a seven-piece orchestra.     Costumes are by Arwen White.  Lighting and sound are by Danny Lawrence and Jon Robertson, respectively.  Stage Manager is Lacey Willis. Scenic Designer is Jack Magaw.

“A Chorus Line” has been succeeded as the longest running musical by “Cats,” “Chicago,” “Les Miserables.” and “Phantom of the Opera.”  “A Chorus Line” remains number seven on the list of longest running original productions of all time.

“A Chorus Line” from Music Theater Heritage is a not-to- be missed interpretation of a challenging show. Tickets are available online at www.musictheaterheritage.com online or by telephone at 816.221.6987.

Photography by Cory Weaver

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