I'll give the good, the ok & the bad from this production. Overall this didn't live up to the '06 revival, but I wasn't expecting it to. Was this just an average looking regional production? I'd say no having seen several recent regional productions(Papermill, Gateway, Surflight) and this was clearly a step up from those. For those wondering, there wasn't the wild & crazy audience screaming & applause tonight, just extra long applause during the opening, at the end of M&TM and during the Finale(One).
The good: Robyn Hurder's Cassie. She brought a more innocent Cassie to the stage, upped the urgency pre-M&TM and danced it beautifully & was probably the best Cassie I've heard sing M&TM. Her scene with Zach(Yazbeck) was terrific during One rehearsal. Yazbeck as Zach: it was a pleasure to actually see a Zach capable of dancing. He wasn't as angry as Berresse and was softer during the alternatives scene. Him & Hurder had great chemistry together during One rehearsal. It was also nice to see him dance during the tap number(all of it). Others that brought something new to their roles: Jay Armstrong(Bobby). So nice to finally have a Bobby that made me laugh(a first for me). Tara Kostmayer(Diana) - just gave the role new energy and attitude that Diana requires. Denis Lambert(Greg) - I was worried because he's played the role numerous times, but he really owns this role and gets the necessary laughs as needed. Not too over the top. Anthony Wayne(Richie) - just fierce and absolutely killed it during his part in the Montage. So sad I saw his u/s when he was on tour with the show. Jolina Javier(Connie) - haven't had a Connie make me laugh since Yuka Takara in the '06 revival.
The ok. Basically these actors brought nothing new to their roles, did what they excel at but there was nothing memorable about their performance. Kate Bailey(Kristine) & Joseph Simeone(Al) - just average. Simeone didn't hit the high notes in "Sing" and Bailey's Kristine just fell flat. "Sing" is the comic relief of the show and there was nothing new or funny about their routine. Tommy Bracco(Mike) - just didn't have the fire & attitude that Mike should have. Had a nice tumbling routine for "I Can Do That", but nothing stood out. Max Clayton(Don) - it's always hard to do something with so little, as is the case with the character of Don. Can't fault Clayton for a forgettable role. David Grindrod(Mark) - just a cookie-cutter performance and rather stale. Melanie Moore(Judy), again nothing new here, just trademark Judy stuff. But nobody could top Heather Parcells in this role(IMO).
The bad: the three "At The Ballet" girls. The Sheila u/s is just way too young for the role. I get she's an understudy, but there's no way she's close to 30 and all of the trademark Sheila lines fell flat. Naomi Walley(Bebe) just lacked the innocence & naivety for the role. Sara Etsy(Maggie), she's probably the first Maggie I didn't feel bad for during "At The Ballet". Just gave no emotion to the role. "At The Ballet" was just flat and lifeless in general. Eddie Gutierrez(Paul), just hang up the role already. No life or emotion during the monologue. Almost sounded like he was reading straight from the script. J. Elaine(Val) - ugh! how much did J. Elaine pay Baayork to have her play Val? She turned T&A into a comic routine and panning for every possible laugh and cheap trick to get one. She took the role in a completely wrong direction and I find it hard to believe Baayork & Bob Avian were ok with this.
Overall, I'm glad I didn't shell over more $$ to see this. Having just recently seen the non-equity tour for half of what I spent, there clearly isn't a need to revive this on Broadway. The energy was [mostly] there and outside of a few performances is a solid production. Special kudos to the 7 cut dancers who brought more energy to the opening number than half the dancers on the line. If you have a ticket already, you likely won't be disappointed in the overall production and hopefully Zimmerman will be in the show by the weekend.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
