A Chorus Line - changes for Mario?- Page 2

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 9:03pm

I have a few nitpicky things about his dancing, but I guess he could be worse?
Video

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 9:30pm

I'm curious to know how you know that Michael Bennett would have loved this casting? I mean what reasons are there that he would love it other than Mario Lopez's looks?

I do think having Mario Lopez be the star does seem to go against what A Chorus Line is about...good business or no.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 9:43pm

Not bad in the footage...

He'll grow into it.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 9:47pm

Well, morosco, Baayork must love it, considering she also allowed it to happen.

Personally, I want Kelly Bishop's take.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 9:49pm

After watching that footage, there are a few things that could be fixed, but overall he looks good.

I think after a few weeks, he'll be fine.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 10:11pm

I'm not saying that Bennett would be against the casting of Mario Lopez.

I'm saying, putting a 'star', ANY star, at the tip of the formation during "One" violates the entire message of A Chorus Line. (And that's just one of many alterations that are similarly ruining the meaning of the show.)

Zach: But you're special!
Cassie: No, we're all special. He's special, and she's special. And Sheila, and Richie, and Connie. They're wonderful. I'd be proud to be one of them. And I'll take chorus. If you'll take me.

A Chorus Line shows that all of the "chorus dancers" on that stage ARE special. They might be seen as "One", as a conformist commodity that backs up the star, but underneath their performances, they are individual people. They are wounded by their parents' divorce (Maggie) or remembering when they followed their sister to dance class (Mike) , or confessing a former life as a drag performer (Paul), or displaying victorious plastic surgery results (Val). They want to be a movie star (Bobby), or just got married (Al and Kristine). We see them as a chorus, as one, but now we see how special they are, and it upsets our pre- conceived notions. Who else has inner lives that we don't bother to notice? That group of construction workers? That group of single moms? The community we live in? A chorus line says that the chorus, and the WORLD is made of individuals, and we should take the time to notice how special everyone is, and to appreciate them, including ourselves.

The song "One" is intended to incite emotions in the audience, beyond joy as the show business wizardry. In every interview, in every Bennett biography, in every musical theatre class or book, you can find discussion of how frightening "One" is. All of a sudden, these individuals have disappeared, and we are seeing the chorus. We can barely recognize them, barely tell Connie from Bebe, or Zach from Larry, in the identical costumes and hats, and with cloned smiles. The curtain sets on this group of clones, kicking their legs into oblivion, to drive the point home of the show.

Putting a 'star' at the point of that formation, whether it is Mario Lopez, or anyone else, diminishes the message of A Chorus Line. The casting of Lopez is fine (and his abilities to perform the part well are subject to personal opinion), but these changes, insinuating that star power or star popularity should be accommodated, are the opposite of what A Chorus Line is about. It is about seeing the formation in 'One', and being frustrated by the empty glitz, and wanting to see Judy's thin-ness in her leotard and Diana's attitude in her stance and hear Mike's accent and Kristine's nervous giggle. It is about being unsatisfied with the 'star' and 'chorus' system of theatre, AND of life. It is about learning to treat everyone like a star. I think Mario Lopez at the tip of the formation is awful, it says "look at this star!", and it changes everything that the show is about. Unless this is intended to be ironic (which I highly doubt), it really shocks me that it is being allowed.

And everything, from the costume changes, to the putting Zach on stage at new points, violates the message of the show as well. It all screams "Look at Mario Lopez!" A Chorus Line is not a show about a star. It is a show about dancers. A show about a community who reclaims its special- ness as individuals. A community that are all stars, and deserve more than to just back one up.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 10:15pm

I couldn't have said it any better InfiniteTheatreFrenzy.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 10:18pm

That was very well put, Infinite.

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 10:21pm

*Stands up and claps.*

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:22pm

Thanks, husk charmer, dancingthrulife04, and Not Barker, Todd. I'm really happy that I got my point across

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:26pm

You sure did. You should print that out and send it to Baayork Lee and Bob Avian.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:51pm

I think he looks GREAT.

I think this is EXACTLY what Michael would have done with this revival to begin with, if he had still been alive.

The one thing the Michael Bennett I met would NEVER have done is revive it as a museum piece.

Michael made a conversation over a glass of wine at a cocktail party a theatrical event.

He would have done EXACTLY what Bob Avian and Baayork did with putting Mario into the show.

And he would have LOVED how it's driving you all crazy.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:54pm

It's a shame Lopez was moved to the point in the finale. I can't believe Lee & Avian agreed to do that. What a shame!

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:56pm

Isn't there a difference between not making it a museum piece and changing the whole meaning of the show?

Again, it's not Lopez that people have a problem with, it's disregarding the message of the piece.

I still don't see how putting a C-list Celeb like Mario Lopez in the show would've made Bennett happy and I would love to be educated in that regard.

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/16/08 at 11:57pm

Anyone else think that PJ is getting a little Norma Desmond about this?

"the Michael Bennett I knew/met/f&cked would have LOVED this and LOVED how you are SO laughing"

I know PJ, it's the Theaters that got small.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:00am

Bennett never wanted celebrities(A-list or D-list). He cursed the movie because (b-list) celebs were in it and I imagine he's rolling over in his grave now. But the fact that Lee & Co. changed certain parts to really make Lopez stand out is awful. It takes away the meaning of the show.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:00am

Does Bennett whisper in your ear the way Baayork claims he does to her, or are you just trolling, pally joey? Just how is it you know EXACTLY what Bennett would have loved? Just because you met him at a cocktail party?

And truly, if he would have loved it so much, wouldn't he have changed it one whole hell of a lot more?

And for the record, none of this is driving me crazy.

[Noel&Cole]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:08am

I'm Sorry but this is one piece of stunt casting that I am delighted to see. Normally pulling a random TV celeb does not thrill me to buy a ticket again, but everyone in awhile someone comes in that seems like a truly interesting choice. Mario Lopez as Zach sounds great. i cannot wait to see it. Last time stunt casting actually got me to guy a ticket again was when Melanie Griiffith went into Chicago.

[Noel&Cole]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:08am

I'm Sorry but this is one piece of stunt casting that I am delighted to see. Normally pulling a random TV celeb does not thrill me to buy a ticket again, but everyone in awhile someone comes in that seems like a truly interesting choice. Mario Lopez as Zach sounds great. i cannot wait to see it. Last time stunt casting actually got me to guy a ticket again was when Melanie Griiffith went into Chicago.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:10am

Just one long chat at a cocktail party and one 3-hour class. That's all I got, but I'm grateful for every millisecond of both occasions.

Oh--and I also had endless hours of listening to my dancer friends--some of whom he hired and fired and hired again--bitch about him and worship him and wonder how to please him and worry that he'd fire them again.

Maybe he would have changed it more, maybe not. One of the saddest things about all the creative people we lost to AIDS, Michael and my dancer friends among them, is that we have no idea what they would have created. All we have is what they left us.

And Michael left Chorus Line to Bob and Baayork and John Breglio--and they chose to cast Mario and make these changes. And I think he would have loved it.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:11am

Interesting, Pal Joey.

I don't object to Lopez's casting at all. His dancing looks fine, and he's as cute as can ****ing be.

[BkCollector]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:12am

PJ, you are such a poseur, it's not even funny.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:19am

I love you too, pusSycat.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:18am

InfiniteTheatreFrenzy ... I couldn't agree with you more, and you expressed it perfectly. Casting any star, and changing placement and blocking to accommodate that star is completely against what ACL represents.

[Flippancy]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 9:25am

I just watched the video of Mario's pseudo-put in rehearsal on the other broadway site, and have a few thoughts. Before I give them, I will give the following disclaimer that perhaps watching a 30 second video clip doesn't give an honest picture.

All in all, Dance 3, Looks 10.

His execution of the opening combination is awkward at best. He's got the double pirouette down, but zero extension. His "ballet hands" are excruciatingly affected -- as if he's made a conscious effort to have them.

His acting style is decidedly still TV-ish. Maybe he'll get some stage polish as his run goes on.

No complaints, though, about his looks. If all the "Zach"s looked that good. Well, maybe Michael Beresse did, but it's a shame they covered him up in the "Zach" sweater. :)
Updated On: 4/17/08 at 09:25 AM