The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company continues its summer of quality theatre with the eagerly anticipated production of the legendary Broadway show A Chorus Line. This iconic American musical won nine Tonys, a Pulitzer Prize for drama, and ran for 15 years on Broadway. It runs on the Playhouse MainStage from July 31 to August 23.
The show, originally conceived by Michael Bennett and produced by Joseph Papp, debuted off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 1975. The story provides glimpses into the lives of a group of 17 dancers auditioning for eight spots in a Broadway chorus line. In the process of elimination, each character's life story is revealed. Memorable songs from the musical include "What I Did for Love" and "One".
Under the direction of Weston Producing Director Malcolm Ewen, the diverse 2014 cast of 'triple threats' is made up of 23 talented actor/singer/dancers, and includes five from the Southern Vermont region. Jim Raposa, a Manchester resident and teacher at Burr and Burton Academy, is an Equity Actor whose credits include Cats on Broadway. He takes center stage as Zach in Weston's production. The four ensemble parts in the show are all filled by aspiring performers from the region. They are Leah Cunningham of Chester, Zach Gordon and Hayley Swinborne of Londonderry and Kristina Meima of Brattleboro. The balance of the stage will be filled by professional actors, many from New York who lives are not too far removed from the characters they are playing.
The stellar creative team includes choreographer Michael Raines, music director Larry Pressgrove, costume designer Karen Ann Ledger, sound designer Ed Chapman - all who worked on last year's production of 42nd Street, scenic designer Jim Sandefur and lighting designer Stuart Duke.
Performances of A Chorus Line will be at the Weston Playhouse, on the Village Green (12 Park Street) in Weston. Show times are Tuesdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm, and Sundays at 3pm. The show runs 2 hours with no intermission. Pre-show dinner is available at the theatre's own restaurant, the Café at the Falls. Post-show antics are well-worth the $12 price of admission at the post-show cabaret, Yankee Magazine's 2014 Editor's Choice for "Best Place for a Nightcap." Tickets to A Chorus Line start at just $25 and can be purchased by calling 802-824-5288 or online at westonplayhouse.org.Videos