4 guys attempt Cassie's "Music and the Mirror" — Page 2

#26

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:13pm

Next time you watch the black and white McKechnie "Music and the Mirror" note how fast the tempo is (has anyone danced it faster than her?) and remind yourself that she's not wearing a body mic. Amazing performance!

#27

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:34pm

Due to Ann Reinking's short torso and long legs, she was the only Cassie who didn't wear the red skirt. They first tried modifying the skirt length for her, but eventually gave up.

NOTE: Ann Reinking replaced Donna McKechnie in 1976 when virtually the entire original cast of A CHORUS LINE left to do the west coast/Los Angeles production.



...doing the Trumpet Solo in the "Sing! Sing! Sing!" number in 1978's DANCIN':

#28

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:37pm

I thought Wanda sang it well, but when I watched the dance, I didn't know what to say. Karen Prunzik (sp?) was also excellent as Cassie.

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Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

#29

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:44pm

Have you seen Nancy Hess's performance? She peters out early in the number.

#30

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:46pm

I tried watching Nancy Hess, but it kept stopping.

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Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

#31

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:48pm

No..it was her who kept stopping lol

#32

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:48pm

Reinking should consider herself lucky then. The costume looks fabulous on McKechnie but it is sooooo unflattering on everyone else I've seen it wear. The way it was designed for Ritcher, it makes her look laughable (she was too out of shape for to pull that costume off).
The comments on Ritcher's video explain that this was shot after she had given birth and she was understudying the role. Don't know if this is true, but God her Cassie looks like she wouldn't have made it past the first batch in "I Hope I Get It."

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#33

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 4:53pm

There was too much cheek in Wanda's performance.

Morosco, LOL!!

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Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

#34

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:02pm

Is the vid of Richert from a first class production? The reason I ask is because the mylar mirrors look like crap. I just can't imagine a Michael Bennett production of the show having mirrors that look that horrible.

Updated On: 3/10/08 at 05:02 PM

#35

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:26pm

Richert is either the tour or Broadway. However, her daughter was born in 1986, so the video is from before then because she did not return to it (at least from what I can find) after 1985.

Ok, the other Donna video should be up later tonight.

I'd love to find video of either Neuwirth or Reinking as Cassie.

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

#36

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:38pm

Due to the time period (1976), there is no video of Ann Reinking as Cassie. There IS an audio of a full performance with Ann as Cassie, and I have that.

The black & white footage of the original 1975 cast of A CHORUS LINE was done professionally for the Lincoln Center Archives -- it is not a bootlegged filming.

#37

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:41pm

The black & white footage of the original 1975 cast of A CHORUS LINE was done professionally for the Lincoln Center Archives -- it is not a bootlegged filming.

And it was filmed at The Public before the move to Broadway wasn't it? I'm assuming that because the mirrors are rolled on from the wings during Cassie's dance.

#38

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:46pm

Yup. That archive black & white film was shot at the Newman Theatre (at The Public Theatre) shortly before the show made its Broadway transfer to the Shubert Theatre.

#39

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:48pm

In THE LONGEST LINE Ann said hey tried it without the skirt but it did not work well so it came back.

Did anyone else notice that in the video that this post is about the "reflection" had his leotard top on backwards?

#40

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:51pm

Anyway... I was fortunate to have seen Ann as Cassie back in 1976 (I was 11 years old), and both times (several months apart) she didn't wear the red skirt.

I have a photo of her standing in the line without the skirt. I should scan this puppy, huh?

#41

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:51pm

And also, why is does the first guy look like he's having a seizure at the beginning?

Another question, does anyone in the revival even come close to anyone from the original cast?

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Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

#42

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:52pm

I thought some of the guys in the revival were ok, but mostly, no.

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

#43

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 5:57pm

I know the picture.. it is in THE LONGEST LINE. She was only in the show for 4 months while Donna played wife to Michael.

#44

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 10:37pm

I'm experiencing technical difficulties with this video...I will make it work though, it just may take time.

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

#45

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/10/08 at 11:56pm

Husk, please let us know when it's ready if you get it to work.

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

Updated On: 3/10/08 at 11:56 PM

#46

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/11/08 at 1:10am

Ok...so it took like 30 years (or at least felt that way) but here it is:


The quality is shot because I couldn't get it to rip properly and we had to do a lot of conversion. The actual copy is almost pristine condition.
Donna Show us How It's Done

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

Updated On: 3/11/08 at 01:10 AM

#47

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/11/08 at 1:31am

Oh My GOD!!!!!

I am so lame; I started crying.

THANK YOU HUSK!

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"Zac is sweet as can be. He's very much just a sweet kid from California who happens to have a face that looks like it was drawn by Michelangelo, (if Michelangelo did anime)."
-Adam Shankman.

"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"

"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"

#48

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/11/08 at 1:43am

I sob like a baby anytime I watch her do it.

This is *my* show. This is what got me through High School.

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http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer

#49

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/11/08 at 1:49am

Damn, she's so good!

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Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

#50

re: 4 guys attempt Cassie's 'Music and the Mirror'

Posted: 3/11/08 at 2:07am

I love how NO ONE will ever be able to dance it or SING it like Donna. What a voice.