A Chorus Line at El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater

YMTC (Youth Musical Theater Company) continues its 13th season by presenting A Chorus Line at El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater. In 1976, this iconic musical won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, plus the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Set on a bare stage during an audition for a Broadway show, A Chorus Line provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. This production combines music, dance, drama, competition, and a celebration of the American musical for a moving theater experience.

The music of A Chorus Line was written by Marvin Hamlisch, the lyrics by Edward Kleban, and the book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante. The show features a cast of 29 performing arts students (ages 13 to 21) from cities throughout the Bay Area. They are led by a team of professional directors, designers, and musicians, including Director Jennifer Boesing, Music Director David Möschler, and Choreographer Janet Collard. The production will feature a live 17-piece orchestra playing the original arrangements of Jonathan Tunick and Hershy Kay.

“People forget that A Chorus Line isn’t just a play about dance,” says Director Boesing. "It’s a play about people following their dreams, striving for something that feels big, important, and against all odds. My hope is that this production, done at this time, will not be just a diversion but an inspiration for everyone.”

A Chorus Line opens Saturday, February 24. Performances run for two weekends at El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater, 540 Ashbury Avenue, El Cerrito. The run consists of three 2:00 p.m. matinees (2/25, 3/3, 3/4) and three 8:00 p.m. performances (2/24, 3/2, 3/3). Music Director Möschler will give pre-show lectures in the lobby on “The Music and the Mirror—Kleban and Hamlisch’s Legacy of A Chorus Line,” on Saturday, 3/3, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, 3/4, at 1:00 p.m.

ABOUT YMTC

YMTC is dedicated to providing exceptional training to young theater artists through the production of exceptional musical theater. The organization brings together the Bay Area’s most talented and dedicated young singer/actors—as well as students of technical theater—with professional directors, designers, and musicians. They take on challenging and sophisticated musical and dramatic themes, and productions are always accompanied by a full, live orchestra.

Authors

• Edward Kleban
• James Kirkwood
• Marvin Hamlisch
• Michael Bennett
• Nicholas Dante

Tony Awards and Nominations for A Chorus Line