A Chorus Line 11/15 8PM

[pippin2]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 5:25pm

Tried the lottery on a whim last night and was quite surprised when I won. I went into the show having never seen it before (I was only 8 when it closed in the nineties) but with some knowledge of the score. I did enjoy the show, however I do agree with what most reviews have said about it. It ultimately feels empty and lacks the passion that it requires to really soar.
I was relatively unimpressed with the cast's vocals. With the exception of Natalie Cortez and Mara Davi, some of the solos sounded a tad too pedestrian for a Broadway stage in my opinion. Standouts include Jeffrey Schecter as Mike, Michael Paternostro as Greg, Jason Tam as Paul, and once again Natalie Cortez and Mara Davi and Diana and Maggie respectively. Chryssie Whitehead and Tony Yazbeck were very funny in "Sing", and Jessica Lee Goldyn made the most of "Dance 10, Looks 3". The dancing is thrilling for the most part, you can tell those kids are really working hard up there, especially in the "Hello 12, Hello 13" sequence and in "One".
My only issue with cast, as it has been with many others, was Charlotte D'Amboise as Cassie. I went into the show rooting for her, I saw her as Charity last year and was quite happy for her when I heard she got this part. Her acting was in fine form, I truly believed her in the scene with Zach before "Music & The Mirror". However, the desire she showed with her words were horribly incongruous with her singing and dancing. She was sharp for a greater part of the song, out of breath, and unable to sustain. The big dance break, which I understand is supposed to be thrilling, fell flat as she lost all her steam about eight counts in and pretty much marked a greater part of the dance.
Although I can see how the show has the chance to truly be thrilling and memorable, I felt like the performance last night was anything but. I ultimately found myself not caring for these dancers, save for a few. Perhaps I'm just jaded, but the last 20 minutes of the show seemed totally hokey. The dancers suddenly turned into caricatures and were no longer real people. What is left in the end seems to be a mere carbon copy of something that once was great, its quite a shame.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 6:01pm

Pippin I must agree. I felt I had to start a thread following this show as I was so disappointed. I don't think many performers with the attitudes of today can truly play the part in this musical documentary. I think in some ways they are too close to what being a dancer is today to lose themselves in the life of those from the '70's. I know this is what acting should be about but maybe it is too soon for people to play these roles as character parts! Some individual performers were terrific as you say but overall a disappointment.

[jess20882]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 6:02pm

I had the exact opposite view as both of you. I was fortunate enough to get a ticket to the opening night performance, and it was amazing. Definitely one of my favorite theatre experiences of the past few years (and trust me, I've had many...).

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 6:05pm

YUP.... I've had many too!

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 10:59pm

This makes me sad. People said the eopening night was electric and there was lots of energy. It has only been open about 2 months and the energy is coming down.

[jess20882]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 11:05pm

the opening night show was CRAZY. every song got thunderous applause and the standing ovation lasted for several minutes...
i'm sad to hear such negative views on ACL, too.