Lining up for fun: A Chorus Line at the Pantages

For a nostalgic tour, check out A Chorus Line, now playing at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. This touring production based on the 2006 revival of the 1975 hit offers a delightful glimpse back at an earlier era. It will leave you satisfied and entertained. Well worth the trip to Hollywood to see it.

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The story of 17 dancers auditioning for the chorus line of Broadway musical, the show goes beyond the song and dance numbers to delve into the personal lives of the hopefuls. And that’s where the show gets fascinating. The dancers talk about their dreams and their pains, their sordid lives and their regrettable decisions, what getting into the show means to them. Rarely does a Broadway musical paint such detail portraits of its characters.

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The original production, which won 9 Tony Awards as well as a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, was based largely on the personal lives of the actual dancers. And therein lies the inherent problem with the revival. The actors are recreating other people’s lives. Don’t misunderstand, the actors do a superb job – the singing is top notch and the dancing is amazing. But the thing that really made the original sing and helped make A Chorus Line the fourth-longest running show in Broadway history, was the fact the actors were largely telling their own stories.

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The other major problem is that the show now feels dated. What seemed so revolutionary in the mid 1970s now seems passé. Behind-the-scenes documentaries now routinely air on pay movie channels and accompany any DVD release. Similarly, discussions of childhood traumas and the lengths people will go to make it big are standard fodder for talk shows and reality shows these days. Consequently, one wonders if the show would much of an impact were it debuting now.

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But see A Chorus Line for its nostalgia value. From the opening “I Hope I Get It” to the closing “One,” the choreography and singing is a delight. And be sure to watch for the amazing tour de force of Rebecca Riker as Cassie, the Hollywood hopeful returning to Broadway after having her dreams squashed. Her solo of “The Music and the Mirror” is breathtaking.

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Also particularly strong is Derek Hanson, playing Zack the director casting this production. The character is off stage for more than half of the production, but is heard coaxing the dancers, quizzing them about their background. Hanson has a distinctive voice that somehow manages to convey nuances of sympathy while also remaining distant and detached. No small feat.

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A Chorus Line plays through June 13. For tickets, visit the Broadway LA website.

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