I saw A Chorus Line last night and

It was exactly that. The same show, done the same way it's been done for years. In fact, I don't really thing there was anything too impressive about it. The dancing and staging was good, and the singing was decent. Two people I really enjoyed were Jason Tam as Paul,and Natalie Cortez as Diana, they drew me in and I forgot I was watching a show. Another person who I enjoyed was Charlotte d'Amboise, her acting was great, but she was having an off night with her dancing and singing. Mara Davi sang beautifully as Maggie, and Jessica Lee Goldwyn was funny as Val. Deidre Goodwin was funny as Sheila, but she really didn't do anything too amazing with the character to make it her own, it except make it ethnic. Overall it was worth seeing, but not worth paying full price for.


(Sorry about my previous spelling mistakes I was typing far too fast for my own good.)

Updated On: 1/26/07 at 11:08 AM

re: "but not worth paying full price for"
My feelings as well. I still remember it being around forever with discounts and tkts, and I think I'll wait this one out before I see it again, but I'm glad to see it's successful.

Updated On: 1/26/07 at 11:31 AM

Lets just say that I am hoping it was an "off night" and not the performance she gives every night.

Sorry to say, but Charlotte probably wasn't having an off night. For some reason (even though Charlotte is an AMAZING dancer) the "Music and the Mirror" choreography doesn't work well for her -- it doesn't seem to fit her her body properly. And her singing has never been that strong -- listen to the cast recording and she doesn't even sound that pleasing when recorded in the studio. Maybe she was having an off night, but an "on" night still isn't going to be that great.

It's amazing how, on paper, Charlotte should be perfect as Cassie.

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Hanna From Hamburg - I agree completely. The night I saw ACL, Charlotte was either off or tired or just not strong enough stamina wise to make it through that b!tch of a number!

Same goes for Jessica Lee Goldyn...she seemed off as well and pushed her voice so much I was actually concerned. And she looks just like Pamela Blair, but she wasn't my favorite Val.

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Because her acting and singing are subpar.

She is not the triple-threat everyone wants her to be.

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munk -- how did you know EXACTLY what bothered me the most with her singing?

LOL

Rath -- what happened to Debbie?

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Debbie's on a break, Hanna.

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I saw the production in SF too. With the exception of Charlotte, I thought it was one of the most universally talented ensembles I'd ever seen. It's a shame that the NY reception (at leat on this board) hasn't been as enthusiastic.

Did the cast just tire out too quickly?

I haven't seen the revival, but I just listened to Charlotte's rendition of "Music and the Mirror." I'm very disapointed. Lord, who is her voice teacher?

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I hear mixed things on Charlotte. I saw her in Chicago in 99 (the tour when it was in Vancouver) as Roxie (with Barrett as Flynn) and thought she was absolutely amazing, but that is a very different role (and one with a lesser range)

Spacedog did you notice any changes while watching--on the cast album the new orchestrations, for instance, really stick out for me

E

I still find it so ironic that Christina Applegate was constantly bashed while playing Sweet Charity, and Charlotte d'Amboise was basically seen as God when she was the stand-by.

Thought sure have changed on Charlotte.

But I still love her.

Spcedog, you say that the show is just like the orignal. What would you have done to update it.


It's not like its a show like Chicago where they changed a lot of stuff. In this particular show, it was done black box with no sets at the shubert. That's what they did here. You talk about it like there were loads of different things they could have done. Keep in mind that the guy that created the show is dead so that did affect some creative choices as well.

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