"A Chorus Line" SF Bay Newspaper Review Thread: SF Chronicle Rave — Page 2

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UPDATED: Full San Jose Mercury News Review:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/15196792.htm

`Chorus Line' needs a revival of the heart
DANCERS TAKE FLIGHT IN BROADWAY HIT'S REMAKE, BUT COMPELLING STORY NEVER GETS OFF THE GROUND
By Karen D'Souza
Mercury News


Dance, 10; acting, 3.

If the new Broadway-bound revival of ``A Chorus Line' got a score card, the dancing would rate a near-perfect 10, the acting a meager 3 and the directing, well, that approaches zero.

Bob Avian's formulaic production, now trying out at San Francisco's Curran Theatre before marching on Broadway, has all the moves but none of the heart. Avian worked with Michael Bennett on perfecting that now-famous footwork back in 1975, when ``A Chorus Line' first opened on Broadway. It went on to run for 15 years (6,137 performances!), winning nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. It's now the gold standard of backstage musicals, the show that lives in the heart of anybody who ever wanted to make it in the theater.

And watching top-of-the-line dancers snap and pop through Bennett's landmark choreography still makes for a thrilling combination. But the drama is all about the body. There's little to feed the mind. The director doesn't work the same alchemy with the dialogue as with the movement. Avian doesn't push the cast to dig deep enough into their characters to find the truth of a dancer's life.

The creative team seems content with replicating the vintage look of this classic, right down to retro unitards and George Hamilton jokes, but not its edge. Aficionados with high expectations are likely to walk away a tad disappointed, and newbies may wonder what the fuss was about. Morales isn't the only one who feels nothing.

``A Chorus Line' should hit us where we live from the first moment we see those shiny-faced hopefuls kicking up their heels in front of wall-to-wall mirrors.

Meet Zach (Michael Berresse), a director with a god complex (is there any other kind?). Not satisfied with auditioning dancers by making them spin and leap and twirl, he makes them bare their souls as well. As he goes down the line, we get to know Val (Jessica Lee Goldyn), a poster child for cosmetic surgery as self-help; Paul (Jason Tam), struggling with coming out and making ends meet; and Maggie (Mara Davi), who escaped a tense childhood ``At the Ballet.'

Goldyn, Tam and Davi stand out because they channel the character's emotions as well as their foot positions. They seem hungry, raw, real.

Alas, much of the cast seems to be going through the motions here. Berresse's flat delivery saps Zach's asides of their power. Charlotte d'Amboise lends Cassie, the has-been starlet, an incendiary edge in the ``Music and the Mirror,' but that fire gets lost in her exchanges with Zach. D'Amboise and Berresse cast no sparks as one-time lovers locking horns in the spotlight.

For her part, Natalie Cortez shows off some angelic pipes in ``Nothing' and ``What I Did for Love.' But the actress lacks the fire in the belly that should burn brightly in Morales, a girl who clawed her way out of the Bronx and won't let anything drag her back.

That's a pity, because the nakedness of the narrative should be what sets this musical apart. Bennett cut to the marrow of the gypsy life, the high stakes gamble of dancing as fast as you can before your body gives out. Without the catharsis, this corps de ballet lacks bounce.

By the time Zach makes the final cut, the only singular sensation felt was impatience. The iconic ``One' number looks just as it should, with its gold-lamé-clad phalanx marching into the infinity of the mirror, but there's little heat underlying the beat.

Unless the revival is hoping to skate by on nostalgia alone (just hearing the opening notes of this score does qualify as a mood-altering substance for many), this ``Chorus Line' is likely to stumble on Broadway. God, I hope they fix it. I hope they fix it.

`A Chorus Line'

Originally conceived, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett; music by Marvin Hamlisch; lyrics by Edward Kleban; book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante; revival directed by Bob Avian

The upshot God, I hope they fix it. I hope they fix it before they get to old Broadway.

Where Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St., San Francisco

When 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays; through Sept. 2

Running time Just over 2 hours, no intermission

Tickets $30-$90; (415) 512-7770 or www.shnsf.com

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Updated On: 8/4/06 at 05:07 AM

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

REVIEW
'Chorus' classic
Nearly picture-perfect revival creates that singular sensation of great dance and music
Robert Hurwitt, Chronicle Theater Critic

Friday, August 4, 2006



A Chorus Line: Musical. Conceived by Michael Bennett. Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Directed by Bob Avian. (Through Sept. 2. Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St., San Francisco. Two hours, 10 minutes. Tickets: $30-$90. Call (415) 512-7770 or visit www.shnsf.com).



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The toss of the head, the sensuously smooth sidle, the effortless extension of a leg high above her head, the impossibly graceful elongated arch of the back -- each element of Charlotte d'Amboise's "The Music and the Mirror" solo blends with the rest in engrossing harmony. Reflected in multiple perspectives in the mirrors of Robin Wagner's set, d'Amboise's every move builds upon the last in a glorious tribute to dance, the musical theater and the choreographer who created the piece in the first place, Michael Bennett.
It is, as it should be, one of the crowning achievements of the impressive Broadway-bound revival of "A Chorus Line" that opened Wednesday at the Curran Theatre. It's a breathtakingly beautiful showcase of the talents that took d'Amboise's Cassie out of chorus lines to featured roles in the past -- and a demonstration of why it's so hard for her to break back into the chorus. As such, it vividly sets up the emotionally fraught tension of the ensemble "One" that follows. Try as she might to blend in with the rest, Cassie can't seem to help giving every step and gesture just a little bit more. She's that one member of almost every chorus you can't stop watching.

Restaged with smart but not slavish fidelity by most of the surviving members of the original creative team, "Chorus Line" is one of the most eagerly anticipated revivals of the coming Broadway season. That doesn't guarantee it a friendly reception. Pundits have been expressing doubts about how much of its 1975 material may seem dated and, conversely, whether it's too soon for a major revival (its then-record-setting run didn't close until 1990).

Whatever truth there is to those doubts -- and there is some -- the original set the bar pretty high. Added to that is the personal drama of d'Amboise, the perpetual first-choice substitute for stars from Gwen Verdon to Christina Applegate, finally getting to open another Broadway show, her first since '89. As seen in its Best of Broadway series outing at the Curran, its only run before heading for New York, the show still needs some fine-tuning. But its glories far outshine its defects.

It can't possibly pack the same punch it once did. Its format -- conceived and developed by Bennett from the personal stories of the original company -- is no longer groundbreaking. The sexual content of the dancers' stories, as honed by book writers James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, has lost any shock value it once had. The central action of culling a pool of auditioners has become too much a commonplace of a mass culture hooked on casting competitors off islands and winnowing out idols.

But the stories retain their appeal and affecting impact, as told with honest simplicity by a very strong cast. The format is refreshingly intimate and focused on basic theatrical values in an age of overblown spectacle and "jukebox" popsicals. That's especially true of Marvin Hamlisch's mostly beguiling score (with occasional lapses into gratuitous sentimentality) -- with its haunting wisps of melody evolving into energetic dance routines -- and of lyricist Edward Kleban's brilliant use of choreography instructions to tell the story of the auditions.

Bob Avian, Bennett's co-choreo-grapher, stages an almost picture-perfect re-creation, leaving room for the actors to express their individuality, with most of the '75 design team -- Wagner revisiting the simple magic of his mirrored set; Theoni V. Aldredge's utilitarian dancer costumes erupting in the gilded, bespangled glory of the finale; Tharon Musser's sculptural lights (adapted by Natasha Katz) creating intricate patterns with the dancers' bodies. Baayork Lee, Bennett and Avian's assistant (and the original dance captain), restages the choreography with a combination of precision ensemble work and the idiosyncratic errors of individual dancers.

The ensemble comes through with equal finesse, making a wrong step or gesture appear as natural as the right ones, which isn't as easy as it looks. Chryssie Whitehead brilliantly echoes the dance errors vocally, hitting just the right wrong notes on "Sing!" as her golden-toned, anxious husband (Tony Yazbeck) tries to cover for her. Natalie Cortez delivers a sweetly satiric "Nothing" and lovely "What I Did for Love." Jessica Lee Goldyn stops the show with her comical paean to breast-enhancement, "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three," as do the gorgeously intertwined, potent voices of Deidre Goodwin (a dynamic, tough Sheila), Mara Davi and Alisan Porter on "At the Ballet."

Musical Director Patrick Vaccariello and his orchestra handle the score beautifully, using the original vocal arrangements (Don Pippin) and orchestrations (Jonathan Tunick et al). The cast blends seamlessly into an ensemble, with each actor suddenly emerging as a fully fleshed individual in turn -- with outstanding song and dance solos by James T. Lane, Yuka Takara and Jeffrey Schecter and affecting performances by Jason Tam and Ken Alan.

One of the weaker elements at this point is Zach, the choreographer conducting the auditions. Michael Berresse nicely conveys his humanity and concern, but little sense of his power. He's undermined, in part, by poor miking. Instead of sounding as if he's speaking from the audience, his canned voice could be coming from the lobby or a bar down the street.

For the most part, though, the show plays very well. Even the running time, more than two hours without intermission, enhances the impression of the intense work it takes to achieve the apparent ease of the buoyant finale. And as magnetic as d'Amboise is in the lead, her protean ability to disappear into the company helps make us see the chorus as an ensemble of singular sensations.

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morosco --- I think he means it SOUNDED canned, not that it was canned.

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LOVIN' that pic of Charlotte *sigh*

I am thrilled for her Wonderful, interesting reading as well. Beautiful and well-written. Thank you, Robert Hurwitt, Chronicle Theater Critic.

Rasberries to Karen D'Souza LOL

Mamma Cassie

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Updated On: 8/4/06 at 11:21 AM

anyone noticed a big error in the first article.

"(previews begin Sept. 18 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater)"

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Nobody seems to be very impressed with Berresse, though it might just be a directorial choice that could easily be fixed. I don't like the idea of a "nice" "compassionate" Zach. It really cuts the tension of the show.

So many mixed reviews makes me even more eager to see it with my own two eyes.

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Pat Craig of the Contra Costa Times is mixed-to-positive (though he thinks that someone named David Baum is playing Zach):

"From the cheers and applause that started as soon as the mirrored backdrop began to glisten at the rear of the dark stage, you'd swear "A Chorus Line" was a long-lost cousin returning to the family fold.

And, in a sense, that's exactly what the cheering was all about. Wednesday's San Francisco opening, after all, was the first big-league revival of the wildly popular, and fourth-longest-running, Broadway musical. It opened in 1975 and ran for more than two decades, and for many theater fans who came of age in the late '70s and '80s, it was the ultimate musical comedy.

"A Chorus Line's" stop in San Francisco is the beginning of a short road back to Broadway, where it opens in mid-September.

The groundbreaking show gave a new look to American musical comedy, as it told the story of theatrical "gypsies," (singers and dancers who move from show to show, hoping to land a part in the ensemble or chorus). The tale of dreams and desires, more often thwarted than realized, hit a chord with audiences, who could identify with this rare breed of dreamer/hoofers, and viewed the show as much more than a backstage musical.

And, it is much more than that, even now, more than 30 years after the late Michael Bennett gathered groups of dancers in New York workshops, and had them pour out their souls and secrets, allowing a poignant portrait to emerge from those who lusted to be part of the dazzling machine that is a Broadway chorus.

The story is about the amalgam of ego and teamwork that drives those in the chorus. It and uses one audition day to explore the stories of a diverse group of dancers, who have gathered in hopes they will be selected to be part of a new Broadway musical.

They are performers on their way up and on their way down -- the mostly faceless mob that has to start over each time a show closes. They are the daily grind workers who live out their quiet desperation in front of loud colors and bright lights, instead of in anonymous cubicles.

And perhaps that is the deep appeal of "A Chorus Line." Of course the less cerebral appeal comes in the singing and dancing, which, in this production is stunning; particularly the star turn by veteran Broadway star Charlotte d'Amboise, who plays Cassie, the veteran, who has fallen from the featured ranks back to the chorus line, and is having trouble convincing the powers that be that is what she wants.

David Baum, as Zach, the choreographer, who is mostly heard, rather than seen, has a pivotal role, bringing out the nuances of the various characters, including Cassie, a former lover, and Paul (Jason Tam), whose earlier life is a cruel tragedy. His monologue, aided by Baum, is the dramatic highlight of the play, and the chemistry between the two actors is incredible.

The material is particularly well-wrought, and gives Tam considerable ammunition to work with. That isn't the case with much of the non-sung portions of the play. It could be just the age of the dialog, but many of the scenes where dancers unleash their passions and confess their sins comes across as platitudes and creaky old phrases that remind you of the old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland "let's do a show," musicals.

The fact that the emotions and sentiments expressed are familiar to anyone who has spent any time talking with actors is really immaterial - that's why shows have writers, to make the characters sound much better than they might in real life.

There are some points, particularly during Cassie's exchange with Zach, that come close to maudlin. Others, most egregiously the scene where dancers talk about what they might do if they couldn't dance anymore, leave you expecting the entire cast with break into, "There's No Business Like Show Business" at any moment.

Fortunately, they don't."


http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/15199751.htm

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Talkin Broadway is a Rave:

"The current pre-Broadway production of A Chorus Line, playing at the Curran Theatre through September 2nd, rivals the original production at the Shubert Theatre in 1975. The stunning musical verite captivated more then six million people during its nearly 15-year run on Broadway. It is still a brilliantly complex fusion of dance, song and compelling authentic drama.

I first saw the original, featuring Priscilla Lopez, Donna McKechnie, Robert LuPone and Sammy Williams, during the summer of 1975. I saw three more productions in New York with different casts over the years, as well as productions in London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco. The current production ranks as good as the original. The music is a little more upbeat and modern, but there are no major changes from the Schubert Theatre production. It is still presented with no intermission.

I think Ken Mandelbaum said it best in 1989 when he described A Chorus Line as the "best blending of all the elements of musical theatre yet achieved by a theatre artist." There has been nothing like this classic musical and I doubt there ever will be.
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Bob Avian has found the best talent to portray the dancers and singers. Especially outstanding is Jason Tam playing Paul, the insecure dancer who tells of growing up gay and working professionally as a drag queen. His narrative, presented softer then prior actors I have seen, is emotionally heartrending.

Natalie Cortez as the street-smart Diana Morales is especially poignant when singing "What I Did For Love," with the cast joining in at the end of the song. Deidre Goodwin is the first African-American I have seen play the sarcastic Sheila. She is tall and stately and a sensual being. She is not as bitchy as prior Sheilas I have seen, but I agree with Zach when he tells her, "You got too much attitude". This could be considered a change from the prior productions that have been presented. She is wonderful when singing and dancing "At the Ballet" with Alisan Porter as Bebe and Mara Davi joining in on the song.

Jeffrey Schecter offers a breezy and positive spin to "I Can Do That" with some great dance moves. Michael Berresse makes a good Zach, especially in the last scene with Paul. Chryssie Whitehead as Kristine and Tony Yazbeck as Al are delightful when they are singing the mirthful "Sing!" and Jessica Lee Goodwin as Val makes a great impression when singing "Dance: Ten, Looks; Three." E. Clayton Cornelious as Butch does a brief rap type number that is lively and full of energy. Michael Paternostro as Greg gives a fun performance describing a hot smooching act in the back of a car with the opposite sex. It was then that he realized he is a homosexual.

Outstanding is Charlotte d'Amboise as Cassie, who brings back the brilliance of this musical in "Music and the Mirror." This ten-minute sequence of superb dancing is a dazzling showstopper. She really brings the pathos of Cassie home.

A very poignant and heartbreaking moment comes toward the end of the musical when Zach must choose eight of the group for the Broadway show being cast. One man in the audience on opening night yelled, "Keep all of them." My sentiments exactly.

A Chorus Line's ensemble gels beautifully and all are special. Michael Bennett and Bob Avian's choreography looks as magnificent as ever. "One" remains the most affecting, heart-pounding finale I have ever seen. There were tears in my eyes just watching these fabulous dancers going through the intricate moves in the dazzling number.

When leaving the theatre, I bumped into Marvin Hamlisch and I said that the show should win the Best Revival award at the Tonys next year. Being a very modest man, he just smiled.


http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sanfran/s810.html

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Charlotte said recently that she saw her first Broadway show 25 years ago when she was 18 (and it was ACL) and appeared in her first show (CATS) a year or so later in the early 80s. Verdon retired from Broadway during the original run of CHICAGO around 1976.

Perhaps the writer is confusing her with Ann Reinking who did go on for Verdon when still in her 20s.

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Oh, I think he is meaning "substitute" in a very loose sense. I assumed he was referring to D'Amboise being a replacement Roxie in the current revival of CHICAGO.

I think her review had a lot of constructive criticism in it. There have certainly been opinions posted even recently from audience members both here and on ATC that say more or less the same thing. I think you could make the arguement that the reviewer from VARIETY may not like ACL as a piece of theatre, but the lady from the Mercury News closed by saying she hoped the problems were fixed.