In A Chorus Line...

Where does At The Ballet fit in? I'm not familiar with the show (I know, shoot me) and I'm singing it for a master class. Just trying to get some background info on it, get some ideas on how it should be performed, etc.

So basically they're all just sitting around before the audition talking to one another about that? So it's casual, warm-up time kinda thing?

Ok that makes sense...Thanks!!

besides the actual show is there anywhere online or something that I might find a video clip of the presentation? I thought there might be something on Broadway: The American Musical but I didnt see anything

You could watch the movie version

Yes, it's pretty awful, and I hate that song in it, but then you can see how *not* to do it!

Don't put yourself through that pain

I concur

You could fast forward to At The Ballet in the movie. It's actually one of the better parts and I really only say that because I'm partial to Vicki Frederick who played Sheila in the movie.

That being said, it's during the audition that At the Ballet takes place. Zach (the director) is trying to get to know what they're all about and thus, asking them questions about their childhood, families, what got them into dancing and so forth. The song is prompted by Zach asking Sheila about her mother and after a short dialogue between the two, Sheila starts singing about the 'relationship' between her mother, father and her as a child.

Bebe and Maggie join in with their stories, respectively, having one thing in common with Sheila: While their home lives may have been less than perfect (and that's an understatement), everything was always beautiful at the ballet. Take that literally and metophorically speaking.... it was an 'escape life' for all of them where there were no problems and everything was perfect/beautiful.

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Updated On: 1/16/05 at 01:16 PM

I love you for giving props to my girl, but I have to tell you it's just cast, not casted. Sorry to be a pain, that word's one of my biggest pet peeves.

Anyway, yes, Vicki was one of the only people cast correctly. She's such a phenomenal talent and while I loved her sassy attitude as Sheila, I would have loved to have seen her as Cassie (the role she played so brilliantly on Broadway and in LA). There were actually a LOT of talented Broadway people in the opening numbers who were subsequently cut. I have a lot of fun slowing the DVD down, trying to pick out the people I know haha.

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It's all good... neither am I

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Which part are you singing?

What's wrong with melody?

Maybe we're confused as to what you're looking for, but I answered your question about the song more than adequately. We shouldn't be seeing any 'sad faces'

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Dear lord, you're cutting At The Ballet? That's sacreligious!

What part are you cutting? Maggie's?

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Yeah, Maggie's part isn't going to be in it. Believe me, if it was my decision I would grab another person, but the teacher told me and this girl to do At The Ballet as a duet. I don't even know what she was thinking but yeah, thats where I'm at right now

--and yeah I LOVE maggie's part lol

Updated On: 1/16/05 at 01:45 PM

I see Maggie's part as tying it all together really... because she talks about the fantasy of her father coming home and asking her to dance.

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