A Chorus Line: Great or "eh"- Page 2

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 1:56pm

I love A Chorus Line. Its one of my favorite shows. I think it is a little dated but not too much.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 2:13pm

I saw the original Broadway run more times than I care to admit. For me, it's on a short list of the greatest masterpieces the musical theatre has ever produced. No other show more thoroughly and seemlessly integrates acting, singing, dancing, and design. The book, score, design, direction and choreography are an inseparable whole, the product of one man's overall vision -- the genius Michael Bennett.

[morosco]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 2:23pm

Margo said: "No other show more thoroughly and seemlessly integrates acting, singing, dancing, and design. The book, score, design, direction and choreography are an inseparable whole, the product of one man's overall vision -- the genius Michael Bennett"

I agree 100%. The only other show that was integrated as seemlessly as A CHORUS LINE was DREAMGIRLS. Same team! Michael Bennett, Bob Avian, Robin Wagner, Theoni V. Aldridge, and Tharon Musser.

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 2:29pm

Michael Bennett was truely a genious.

[fae]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 3:10pm

i've seen this show only once... with an exceptional cast. i loved every moment of it. "chorus line" is a slice of life. it is the only show i know of that walks a non-theatre person through the audition process. i know, i know, it doesn't happen exactly like that, but at least you get a feeling for what those characters are going through. i do believe that the success of the show hinges on the talent of the cast.

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 3:14pm

Being a performer, there is so much that I can relate to in this show. I think that is another reason it holds a place in my heart

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 3:22pm

MargoC you must have a sideline as a carpenter cos once again- You've Nailed It! Remember how this show started? Just a bunch of dancers telling their stories to each other. It was Bennett who moulded it into the incandesent light it became for every one who saw it! ( with nods to Hamlisch & Marsha Mason) Updated On: 8/25/04 at 03:22 PM

[Che2be]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 4:00pm

I personally love A CHORUS LINE... The dancing, costumes, and music is dated.. But its subject matter isn't. I love it. And it's a shame it wasn't the longest running bway show... CATS had to beat it.. Robert

[Corine2]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 4:02pm

It is one of my favorite musicals of all time. Updated On: 8/24/04 at 04:02 PM

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 8:53pm

It is definetly time for A Chorus Line revival.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/24/04 at 9:40pm

As Bebe Neuwirth has ingeniously stated, A Chorus Line is the longest running Broadway musical and Cats is the longest running West End import of a, I guess you could call it a, sort of loosely thematic revue.

[alterego]

Posted: 8/25/04 at 2:22am

One post here mentioned that the production the writer saw had no interval. A Chorus Line is performed without an interval.
I too saw the show more times than I care to admit to. I saw it in Sydney, New York, London and Melbourne. In those days musicals were something to get excited about. Ah memories!

[bwaybaby2]

Posted: 8/25/04 at 2:29am

i just did a chorus line and i was mike and it was amazing. it is such a powerful, emotional, wonderous show.... i dont see how people couldnt like it

[etoile]

Posted: 8/25/04 at 3:15am

I love this show. When I first saw it I took my most difficult pet project, mentoring a juvenile delinquent (yes they actually called them that back in the olden days) who happened to have a devistating personality handicap. But we went because it was his dream to see the show and I wanted to make it happen. By the time we got to the theater, word had spread among my friends that we were there and we were invited to go backstage and meet the cast. Now little MXxx's (blacked-out due to his age at the time) dream was realized when he was asked if he wanted to put on a sequined jacket and become one of the chorus members. Tears ran down my face as I realized he was only there to hit on and feel up the male chorus "members" (literal meaning). They were all disgusted by his vile behavior, crass manner, course language and took to referring to him as a smelly uncouth freaking flying monkey. He was banned from ever approaching within 50 yards of the theater...but I digress.

For that reason A CHORUS LINE will always hold a very special place in my heart.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/25/04 at 4:11am

Hmmm...are you sure that's not fabricated to a certain degree? How could he have been given the opportunity to be a chorus member of the show? He wouldn't have known what to do...

[etoile]

Posted: 8/25/04 at 11:27am

"He wouldn't have known what to do..."

That never stopped him then or now from making a fool of himself, ChiChi.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/25/04 at 12:16pm

I agree with Margo. It's a masterpiece! It made me fall truly in love with the theatre.

[SeeIreallycouldn'tSING!!]

Posted: 8/30/04 at 12:15am

I got into Chorus Line a year ago, when I played Kristine, I'd never heard of the show, besides preforming a melody when I was 10 in a chorus concert. Its not at all dated, its one of the great shows ever, I even wrote a page long tribute to the show in the playbill for the show i was in. I've seen it twice premormed in ametur productions and even traveled to lingcoln center to veiw it in their media libreay. I cried threw every show. I'm much too young to even remember the closing of the show. To see a revial would be amazing.but unforuently unlikly. I mean the audence would be there, but in todays world of celeberity casting and the fact that joe papp and MIcheal bennett arn't with us any more, it does seem dim. I'd love to see it come back though. And to the shubert.

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 8/30/04 at 12:21am

I can;t say it any better than Margo, so I will not even try -- although I think it is OK to call ACL "dated" which is why it should be NOW be performed in 1975 -- otherwise it just doesn;t translate to today and what we know, have learned (or not) -- granted, most of the themes and feeelings transcend time/years...but I for one think it's right to "date" the piece

[feinstein9]

Posted: 8/30/04 at 12:24am

i don't think it works as well out of the context of the late 70's early 80's era- it's so of the moment, i can't imagine trying to see a production that's all modernized. my parents got to see the original cast and i envy them so! this is an AMAZING show, it's about theatre people, it's for theatre people... it's just da bomb. that's all i can say.

[SeeIreallycouldn'tSING!!]

Posted: 8/30/04 at 12:29am

oh no! I can totally identify with EVERYTHING they say in the show. I mean the fact that they say things like "I wanna be the next gwen verdon" makes it dated, but otherwise I don't think its dated at all. If they changed a few minor things and the dates of the birthdays of the cast, they could 100% play the show today.