#1
Posted: 9/23/06 at 3:13am
I would like to preface this review by saying that tonight was the first time I had ever seen A CHORUS LINE. I have owned the OBCR for over eight years and have it memorized, but I knew nothing of the book and how the songs were woven in. I have also never seen the movie. That being said, this was one of the most exciting nights of theater I have ever been a part of.
SPOILERS
The theater, of course, was completely sold out. As I waited eagerly for the show to begin, I just had a feeling this was going to be a night to remember. As soon as the show began, the audience went crazy with applause...just seeing the dancers on stage in the opening formation...it was magical.
The ensemble as a whole was perfect. The dance sequences during the audition were spot on and the necessary actors stood out when they were supposed to (ex: when some of them messed up the dance steps, or when Sheila got pissed off when another dancer upstaged her). They all worked extremely well as a group. The choreography was some of the best I've ever seen in my life...just perfect. The sets: well there really was no set besides a white line and some mirrors, but for this show, it worked! The costumes: again, really no costumes to speak of, except for the gold ones at the end, but elaborate costumes are not what this show calls for. Loved Charlotte's red dress though. She looked great! As did Deidre. The lighting was excellent. I loved the use of spotlights, dim lighting on the ensemble when others were supposed to be in the foreground and the use of lighting while the mirrors were in use.
I'm glad that the creative team did not update the show. It is still set in 1975. The lines with Robert Goulet, Troy Donahue and other references like that were all still in, which I was happy to see.
There are so many ensemble members in the cast, so I'm not going to mention all of them, but just the ones that stood out in my mind. Please forgive me if I forget any of your favorites.
Really enjoyed Jeffery Schecter as Mike. His "I Can Do That" was excellent and got tons of applause. I had no idea he was such a great dancer (this choreography was more difficult that in THE PAJAMA GAME, so he got to show off his skills more here). Really enjoyed Mara Davi as Maggie and Alisan Porter as Bebe during "At The Ballet." Tony Yazbeck as Al was a real pleasure to look at on stage...those gorgeous arms and cute green TKTS t-shirt! It was so adorable when he was finishing Kristine's sentences for her. Chryssie Whitehead as Kristine was fabulous. LOVED her "Sing!" and felt she was very quirky and definitely left an impression on me. Tyler Hanes as Larry was another one with a gorgeous body. He did a great job as Zach's assistant choreographer and is a fantastic dancer. Also wanted to mention Heather Parcells as Judy, who had some standout moments and Yuka Takara as Connie, who was just adorable.
Jason Tam as Paul. I had heard about "the speech" and knew it had something to do with him being gay, but didn't know exactly what it was going to be about. In addition to being a great dancer, Jason did a wonderful job with the speech. It was incredibly moving and he was crying on stage towards the end of it, which made me tear up as well. I don't know how he has the strength to do that speech eight times a week, but good for him. Was also completely shocked when **SPOILER** he injures himself while auditioning and doesn't get the job. He clearly was going to be one of the four men picked...so sad. **END SPOILER** Really wonderful job.
Jessica Lee Goldyn as Val was probably the weakest member of the ensemble, IMO. She was good, but "Dance Ten Looks Three" kind of fell flat at times. I can't really put my finger on it, but it just didn't seem to have the impact that I think it should have. Still, she did a good job and thought it was so cute how she squeezed another guy's butt when she went back in line at the end of her song. Also liked when she said something along the lines of "I'm available" when another ensemble member said he wanted to get into directing.
Natalie Cortez as Diana was excellent. "Nothing" was incredible tonight. She was in full voice and blew it out of the park and the audience went nuts. Also, "What I Did For Love" gave me chills. I thought she was wonderful.
Deidre Goodwin as Sheila was the standout of the night. She was absolutely fabulous. Perfectly cast. A total diva bitch and she did it so well. I loved the way she carried herself, loved how she gave the stare-down to someone who upstaged her and loved her part of "At The Ballet." When Deidre is on stage, you can't help but look at her, even when she is not the main focus...a true star!
Michael Beresse as Zach. Definitely thought he was mean enough, despite the negative comments I had read about his portrayal. He was very commanding of the stage, told the dancers what to do and they felt intimidated by him (as they should be since he was the one casting the show). He looks great and dances extremely well. I enjoyed when he went on stage to comfort Paul after his speech, loved how he seemed to really care after **SPOILER** Paul's injury. **END SPOILER** I also liked his scene with Charlotte about their past relationship. Very well done.
Charlotte d'Amboise as Cassie was also perfectly cast. As has been said before, this role is her life! "Music and the Mirror" got tons and tons of well-deserved applause. Charlotte's dancing is so refined and so perfect. Despite hearing negative comments about the "Music and the Mirror" choreography, I really enjoyed it (maybe because I've never seen the original). She was in full voice, danced perfectly and her acting was excellent in the scene before "Music and the Mirror" and in the scene with Zach. She was born to play this role. Really fantastic.
So overall, it was an unforgettable night for me. This is definitely, without question, the best show on Broadway right now and possibly the best show I've ever seen. I must have gotten chills at least 15-20 times and teared up a bunch of times as well. It makes you think. It makes you feel. Just a wonderful story with excellent music interwoven in the piece. It is like a work of art and the entire audience was captivated tonight.
At the stage door, the entire cast was a delight to meet. They were all thrilled to hear such positive comments about the show was were more than happy to sign and take pictures with anyone who asked.
Would recommend this show to anyone and everyone. Really looking forward to seeing it again...and though there are no discount codes right now, paying full price is worth every single penny. Go see A CHORUS LINE. You will not regret it.
SPOILERS
The theater, of course, was completely sold out. As I waited eagerly for the show to begin, I just had a feeling this was going to be a night to remember. As soon as the show began, the audience went crazy with applause...just seeing the dancers on stage in the opening formation...it was magical.
The ensemble as a whole was perfect. The dance sequences during the audition were spot on and the necessary actors stood out when they were supposed to (ex: when some of them messed up the dance steps, or when Sheila got pissed off when another dancer upstaged her). They all worked extremely well as a group. The choreography was some of the best I've ever seen in my life...just perfect. The sets: well there really was no set besides a white line and some mirrors, but for this show, it worked! The costumes: again, really no costumes to speak of, except for the gold ones at the end, but elaborate costumes are not what this show calls for. Loved Charlotte's red dress though. She looked great! As did Deidre. The lighting was excellent. I loved the use of spotlights, dim lighting on the ensemble when others were supposed to be in the foreground and the use of lighting while the mirrors were in use.
I'm glad that the creative team did not update the show. It is still set in 1975. The lines with Robert Goulet, Troy Donahue and other references like that were all still in, which I was happy to see.
There are so many ensemble members in the cast, so I'm not going to mention all of them, but just the ones that stood out in my mind. Please forgive me if I forget any of your favorites.
Really enjoyed Jeffery Schecter as Mike. His "I Can Do That" was excellent and got tons of applause. I had no idea he was such a great dancer (this choreography was more difficult that in THE PAJAMA GAME, so he got to show off his skills more here). Really enjoyed Mara Davi as Maggie and Alisan Porter as Bebe during "At The Ballet." Tony Yazbeck as Al was a real pleasure to look at on stage...those gorgeous arms and cute green TKTS t-shirt! It was so adorable when he was finishing Kristine's sentences for her. Chryssie Whitehead as Kristine was fabulous. LOVED her "Sing!" and felt she was very quirky and definitely left an impression on me. Tyler Hanes as Larry was another one with a gorgeous body. He did a great job as Zach's assistant choreographer and is a fantastic dancer. Also wanted to mention Heather Parcells as Judy, who had some standout moments and Yuka Takara as Connie, who was just adorable.
Jason Tam as Paul. I had heard about "the speech" and knew it had something to do with him being gay, but didn't know exactly what it was going to be about. In addition to being a great dancer, Jason did a wonderful job with the speech. It was incredibly moving and he was crying on stage towards the end of it, which made me tear up as well. I don't know how he has the strength to do that speech eight times a week, but good for him. Was also completely shocked when **SPOILER** he injures himself while auditioning and doesn't get the job. He clearly was going to be one of the four men picked...so sad. **END SPOILER** Really wonderful job.
Jessica Lee Goldyn as Val was probably the weakest member of the ensemble, IMO. She was good, but "Dance Ten Looks Three" kind of fell flat at times. I can't really put my finger on it, but it just didn't seem to have the impact that I think it should have. Still, she did a good job and thought it was so cute how she squeezed another guy's butt when she went back in line at the end of her song. Also liked when she said something along the lines of "I'm available" when another ensemble member said he wanted to get into directing.
Natalie Cortez as Diana was excellent. "Nothing" was incredible tonight. She was in full voice and blew it out of the park and the audience went nuts. Also, "What I Did For Love" gave me chills. I thought she was wonderful.
Deidre Goodwin as Sheila was the standout of the night. She was absolutely fabulous. Perfectly cast. A total diva bitch and she did it so well. I loved the way she carried herself, loved how she gave the stare-down to someone who upstaged her and loved her part of "At The Ballet." When Deidre is on stage, you can't help but look at her, even when she is not the main focus...a true star!
Michael Beresse as Zach. Definitely thought he was mean enough, despite the negative comments I had read about his portrayal. He was very commanding of the stage, told the dancers what to do and they felt intimidated by him (as they should be since he was the one casting the show). He looks great and dances extremely well. I enjoyed when he went on stage to comfort Paul after his speech, loved how he seemed to really care after **SPOILER** Paul's injury. **END SPOILER** I also liked his scene with Charlotte about their past relationship. Very well done.
Charlotte d'Amboise as Cassie was also perfectly cast. As has been said before, this role is her life! "Music and the Mirror" got tons and tons of well-deserved applause. Charlotte's dancing is so refined and so perfect. Despite hearing negative comments about the "Music and the Mirror" choreography, I really enjoyed it (maybe because I've never seen the original). She was in full voice, danced perfectly and her acting was excellent in the scene before "Music and the Mirror" and in the scene with Zach. She was born to play this role. Really fantastic.
So overall, it was an unforgettable night for me. This is definitely, without question, the best show on Broadway right now and possibly the best show I've ever seen. I must have gotten chills at least 15-20 times and teared up a bunch of times as well. It makes you think. It makes you feel. Just a wonderful story with excellent music interwoven in the piece. It is like a work of art and the entire audience was captivated tonight.
At the stage door, the entire cast was a delight to meet. They were all thrilled to hear such positive comments about the show was were more than happy to sign and take pictures with anyone who asked.
Would recommend this show to anyone and everyone. Really looking forward to seeing it again...and though there are no discount codes right now, paying full price is worth every single penny. Go see A CHORUS LINE. You will not regret it.
Updated On: 9/23/06 at 03:13 AM
You put a lot of thought and time into it. I get to see in October 26th 
