A Chorus Line

I might be mistaken, but I beleive those actors stay and sing backstage in some of the other numbers. I could be wrong, though.


Glad you enjoyed the show.

---

always exciting to see a chorus line character replaced mid-performance.

no

"As un-educated about the show as this may seem, at the end when certain people are chosen to move forward in the final cast, is it different every night?"

Actually, Broadwaysinger, in the original workshop versions, it DID change nightly. And even when it was at the Public, originally, Cassie was axed in favour of Shelia. But as the legend goes, the show doctor's gal said that would be too much of a downer...Cassie had to make the line. The rest is history.

But it wasn't always so.

So your question might have been uneducated, I guess - but as it turns out, it was actually pretty enlightened.

Updated On: 5/13/07 at 07:52 AM

And a fine gal she is....

Updated On: 5/13/07 at 11:44 AM

IIRC, in the original printing of the script, a stage direction noted that the choices at the end *were* to be random every night, and I always felt that was a cool idea. It would force the performers to stay a little more on top of their game.

---

Yeah I think it's in Mandelbaum's book that the performers said that not knowing who woul dbe cut added an extra level to their performance but it also added an insane amount of stress that just wasn't viable for a night to night job.

E

Actually yeah I think that was another part of the problem--I don't remember the details but it screwed up with the smoothness of the costume change, etc, when no one knew for sure who would need to make the change.

E

If I'm not mistaken, though, while they had the random pick each night, there was also no 'One' reprise. They actually did something that I like better. Basically, the lights go down and when they come back up the only thing left on stage is the line. During previews at the Public, that all changed. I think that's what it said in On The Line, anyway.

There was also talk of having the finale performed with the line having its back to the audience -- in effect, putting us onstage with them as they perform to the unseen audience upstage. They never could make it work, which is just as well, but I always wanted to see the empty stage finale. The glitz of "One" just undercuts everything we've seen and takaes the show in the "pleasing the audience, not honouring the material" direction.

---

See, I love the great finally at the end of the show, but I think its meaning is often misinterpreted. In my opinion, it is not meant to "please the audience" and undercut the material. Look what happens at the end of the show. Eight of the people you just spent 2 hours learning about get picked to be on Zach's line. In the next scene, they are all back in the chorus line in costumes where it is hard to determine who is who. In a way, it brings the hsow back to the beginning. Though you know who these people are at the end, they are all the same. All 17 actors dance onstage. I ask myself, "what did the dancers who got chosen actually win?" They do not get any extra recognition, but they were so happy when they were picked. Plus, the fact that there is no official curtain call and the last image you see is the line kicking "going on forever" gives the image that the dancers will keep going on like robots, never revealing their own identities onstage. This is tragic and sad, yet it makes them ending. So, is it really a happy ending? I do not think the finale undercuts the material at all, the reaction the audience gives and the eay it interprets the finale does.

Though the dancers live this hard life and even when they "make it" they are unknown, they can still lead a powerful, glamourous, "glitzy", and happy life in their eyes.

andinthemirror, I agree with you as well. However, I guess if there is a packed audience every night, the expect somethign big. And I think it is nice to present the number that the audience had seen the dancers working on throughout the show. The audience can see the work put into a large "hat number," which is what Michael Bennett wanted in the show. And as far as seeing the blank line at the end, I think you still get that feeling somewhat. After the finale, after the first time I'd seen the show, I expected a curtain call. The lights came up on the blank stage and the audience (including me) sat their clapping for a good 3 minutes, I guess waiting for the actors to bow. No one came out, and that hit me hard. Maybe this isn't as magical as them not bowing without the finale, but that same image does get across. Plus, the big finale is definitely a big part of ACLs success. The show attracts those theatergoers who like to see glitz and glamour (like Wicked and the Producers)as well as those who like the smaller shows (Spring Awakening, Rent [in its early days]).

What does throw off this image of the empty stage at the end is during BCEFA. Zach and Mari came out to talka bot the cause and then a bunch of the actors were in their gold costumes with buckets. I know BCEFA is a great cause, and a necessary one. But it definitely throws off that final image given. I wish there were some way to talk about BCEFA without having the gold costumes leave the sttage and without havung anyone enter the stage after the kickline.