See, you guys don't get it. It
has to change a little to have some mass appeal. Yes, we want a (relatively) faithful movie of
A Chorus Line, but if we stuck to period and we stuck to the play, that's got an audience of PBS proportions. It wouldn't be worth the money spent to anyone but the most devoted. Some of you may argue, "So much the better. At least it won't be massacred on the altar of Hollywood." Well, that didn't stop Michael Bennett's entitled @$$ from holding back on helping the picture the first time Hollywood got its grubby mitts on it. If he'd stuck around, maybe it could've been something better. We'll never know, will we?
Don't get me wrong, Sir Richard Attenborough definitely muffed it up. It's not about kids trying to break into show business, which seems to be the film he made. On the surface, it's a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. At its core, it's about veteran dancers looking for one last job before it's too late for them to dance anymore.
What you guys miss is that it doesn't need to be 1975 for that to resonate with people. I'm sorry, but it's true. This show, as much as these people poured aspects of their lives into it, is not about that specific cast, or else why would they have been able to cast many replacements and new productions over the years? The show caught on because it resonated with people in the industry who'd been in the same position, who'd had the same formative experiences, and with people in the mainstream world who saw for the first time the inner world of the dancer. These characters and experiences are universal, not specific. If you want that on film, go watch
Every Little Step one more time.
Framing it in a senior citizen home... what is this,
Follies? Are you out of your mind? What the hell purpose does that serve? To remind people that hey, this was partially based on the real lives of dancers? They're not even going to be there the whole movie unless you're going to go Rob Marshall on the damn thing (and in the process, again, arrive at something more resembling
Follies), which would be the only thing that would make casting the original talent worth it, in my humble opinion. If they're already earning a Social Security check, "God I Hope I Get It" could be about the results of a little blue pill.
The point of the show can be made without being slavishly faithful. Bennett saw that when he drew up his original proposal. You have to alter it to make it work. He knew the musical was a surreal, eminently theatrical piece, with too many moments that took place inside of people's heads. That's why his idea was dancers auditioning for the film version within the film; it made the theme hit home that much more. Some of these people have been trying to break into film all their lives, and the movie may be their last chance, just like the show within the show might have been their last chance. The choreographer would then be a metaphor for how Hollywood builds you up and breaks you down, just like the rest of this sordid business. Back then, it was extraordinary. Today, I agree that it would be too much like countless behind-the-scenes "documentaries" and reality TV shows that have been produced featuring "talent competitions." But what other way is there to do it?
All over America, young (and old) dancers are looking for their first (or last) break. They're going through adolescence and learning about themselves. They're coming to terms with being gay. They're taking horrible acting classes in high school. They're learning that some directors cast for looks rather than talent. They're realizing that at any instant, a broken bone, a knee problem, their career can be over in a flash.
This show will never be dated, because the story never ends. But each new generation must have their own image of it. It's not yours anymore. You lived that life, you had your day, and now the sun is setting. The endless ensemble must continue to dance, to say "I can do that," to say that whatever happens to them, they will have no regrets about "what [they] did for love." They follow in your footsteps without needing to wear the same clothes or tell the same stories. Let it resonate for a new audience in their own terms and language, as
Jesus Christ Superstar did for endless teenagers fed up with the King James Version of events.
Let it go. And if it loves you, it will come back.
Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05
Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28
