Chorus Line @ NY City Center- Page 8

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 2:15pm

Exactly, the point of the final number is that they’re indistinguishable, that they work so hard to be unrecognizable, that any of them could have been cast because they all are capable, that the mirror reflects that they are one of hundreds and thousands of people vying to be on a chorus line. The fact that we do know their stories makes it tragic. (And the One rehearsal where Cassie learns to be less special is heartbreaking.)

[lucillefrank]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 2:17pm

God this production was nearly flawless (J. Elaine Marcos was miscast). Robyn Hurder as Cassie was unreal. And Sheila has always been my favorite character and I'm SO happy I finally got to see Leigh Zimmerman do it. I really wish this production would transfer to Broadway even just for a limited run.

[Peter2]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 2:25pm

^getatme said: "There's an interview I watched with Natalie Cortez from the revival a couple years ago and she talks about how on the first day of rehearsal, right in the script the cast receives it says something to the effect of "Never forget: A CHORUS LINE is a tragedy. At the end of the day, you become a member of the chorus and you are no different than anyone else onstage with you." Paraphrased (and probably made a bit harsher, apologies if anyone knows the exact wording).

THAT is what "One" is about. The all come out and you can't tell them apart, save for a few. That's why the full company (minus the initial cut dancers) perform and not just the 8 that receive the job."

Arlene Croce, reviewing the original production in The New Yorker, said: “Bennett’s staging of One transcends his own trite choreography. His device is repetition. So many repeats take place before Robin Wagner’s mirrored backdrop that the formula steps are dramatized into an eternal ritual, an apotheosis of routine. The chorus line seems to stretch into infinity doing its same dumb dance—the only dance that Broadway knows.”

In my gut I can’t feel so sour about it, but I think it’s kind of amazing how differently people react. 

[Elegance101]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 2:29pm

One thing I want to say about poisonivy’s review: I don’t really think the opinion about having heard all these stories before is valid here (thinking it was not well-acted is a different opinion entirely). I think you’re thinking of A Chorus Line as cliched and tired, but you can’t be mad at the show that created these cliches you don’t like, as it created the cliches. You can’t get mad at Romeo and Juliet for the forbidden love across two social/family circles cliche because it created that very idea. Same goes for A Chorus Line; if you feel like you’ve heard the character’s stories before, it’s because you’ve heard them from copycats of A Chorus Line. Sure, it might be a little dated now (up to one’s opinion), but to critique it for the very cliches it created because it’s so good that others copied it seems unfair to the groundbreaking nature of the material. Correct me if I’m reading your words wrong, as I don’t want to misunderstand.
If that was a note about the acting, then it’s a different story.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 2:30pm

Well put, Elegance.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 3:13pm

Elegance101 said: "One thing I want to say about poisonivy’s review: I don’t really think the opinion about having heard all these stories before is valid here (thinking it was not well-acted is a different opinion entirely). I think you’re thinking of A Chorus Line as cliched and tired, but you can’t be mad at the show that created these cliches you don’t like, as it created the cliches. You can’t get mad at Romeo and Juliet for the forbidden love across two social/family circles cliche because it created that very idea. Same goes for A Chorus Line; if you feel like you’ve heard the character’s stories before, it’s because you’ve heard them from copycats of A Chorus Line. Sure, it might be a little dated now (up to one’s opinion), but to critique it for the very cliches it created because it’s so good that others copied it seems unfair to the groundbreaking nature of the material. Correct me if I’m reading your words wrong, as I don’t want to misunderstand.
If that was a note about the acting, then it’s a different story."

Well I've seen the video of the OBC and you could sense the fact that they were telling their own stories. It had a freshness and immediacy and back then admitting to conflicts regarding sexuality, broken homes, depression, etc. wasn't as common then. Today all the actors sounded as if they were reciting this stuff for the millonth time. I think this was a mix of the material being dated AND the actors not having the immediacy and conviction to pull off their monologues.

[starcatchers]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 5:00pm

Was anyone else at the final performance last night? I adored Hurder’s Music and the Mirror when I saw it earlier in the week, but that final performance in particular absolutely floored me.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 5:06pm

I was there last night as well.

(I haven't read through this long thread, so forgive me if I'm pretty much saying the same things others have said)

I enjoyed myself overall, and I found several moments very moving. But I found myself noticing a lot more flaws in the piece than I ever have before. Parts of it feel very dated, and others feel very silly (I couldn't help but chuckle a bit during Hello Love, and not in the way the creators intended). But still, it's an iconic piece of theatre, and I can see why. I found the cast to be likable, but I didn't think any of them were particularly strong actors, which is disappointing because this is a show that really needs good actors. 

[Peter2]

Posted: 11/20/18 at 7:50am

This production had the charm I thought was missing from the 2006 revival, and I was impressed by how good things were musically. Dared? It always strikes me as a snapshot of 1975, and personally, I just love it for that. 

[djdonj]

Posted: 11/21/18 at 12:55pm

>>djdonj, what do you mean about “I really need this job”? Do you mean rhythm of the line or the stress they were putting on those words? Either way, if it kept happening that way, it was probably intentional and told to the actors by the director and/or music director. 

I think it was really the rhythm of the line as sung. In the OBC recording, I believe "this" lands on 3 and "job" lands on "and". Here, "this" landed on "3-and-a" if that makes sense! Anyway, seemed to suck the life out of a very strong line. Plus I thought it was weird to make such a change given everything that's been said about strict adherence to the original (assuming the OBC recording is faithful to the stage performance). Cheers

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:14pm

Anybody know why Robyn Hurder posted on her Instagram story this afternoon about being “back into Cassie” and looking like she’s in rehearsal?

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:17pm

Oh BC, don’t get me excited!!! But yes, I saw it too, and thats the Cassie teacher behind her.

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:18pm

just heard a rumor about A Chorus Line coming back for a limited run before a show takes the theatre in Fall 2019.  

[Bwayfan292]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:19pm

Half the cast has other shows, but Max and Robyn don’t start till June for MR.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:19pm

It would make sense why one of the City Center cast members posted about seeing them at CC “before they transfer to Broadway” a few weeks ago. I...am hype.

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:22pm

Don’t get too excited, she’s doing a benefit this Friday per her instagram, doing Music and the Mirror.

[GreeneStreet]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:27pm

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 6:29pm

LesWickedly said: "Don’t get too excited, she’s doing a benefit this Friday per her instagram, doing Music and the Mirror."

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/28/18 at 7:23pm

Moulin Rouge is being workshopped this Spring before moving into the Hirschfeld, so Hurder & Clayton would be out. Others that are currently attached or in a current Broadway show:

 

Jay Armstrong Johnson(Bobby) - Phantom

Kate Bailey(Kristine) - Frozen

Tommy Bracco(Mike) - Pretty Woman

Jolina Javier(Connie) - Phantom

Naomi C. Walley(Bebe) - Chicago

Anthony Wayne(Richie) - Tootsie

So that's 8 out of 19 "leads" that would have to be replaced. Don't see it happening.

Updated On: 11/28/18 at 07:23 PM