You Predict: "A Chorus Line Will Run For..."- Page 3

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 9/29/06 at 8:48am

this question has been running through my head since the dress rehearsal. i don't wanna jinx it by guessing a number, but I do think it'll go 2 seasons with no problem. pre-sales have been spectacular and, as my buddy Carmella mentioned, the box office continues to do great daily business. it's a very hard show to predict the success of. there has been amazing audience response on a consistent, if not universal, basis. of course this early on we're getting a lot of the ACL loyalists, and that is both a blessing and a curse. they are the 1st ones to applaud or burst into tears with emotion when something is done just right. but they also are the ones who recall seeing the original cast in the context of its time period, and can therefore be the hardest to please. so these early audiences aren't a good measuring device. the Times review just might wind up being critical for the long-term success of the show, and it's nearly impossible to guess which way Brantley will go.

there's still not much of an idea how the show is being received by the younger generation, teen and college-aged dancers and theatre performers who have maybe only seen or heard certain numbers or never heard the show at all. once they can get ahold of tickets, how will they respond to it as a complete piece? might they be unwilling to look past the dated aspects of the book? or might the universally-relatable themes bring about a resurgence of interest in musicals that existed pre-LES MIS? or will a certain character or performer become their next Idina, to be loved and idolized unconditionally for any number of reasons?

then one must consider the nearly endless possibilities they have in terms of replacement casting. star-casting is always an option and it could work performance-wise, though it does seem counter-intuitive to the spirit of the show. I think also of all the great musical theatre talent that has been influenced by the piece and might be interested in joining the cast.

these are all potential wildcard factors that could determine if it runs 2 or 20 years. hey, who woulda guessed 5 yrs ago that PRODUCERS would be in trouble so soon? as with any show, only time will tell. it's probably safe to say it won't approach the longevity of the original production, but if the CHICAGO revival can run 10+ years then who knows what is possible with this one? one thing is for sure, with both of these revivals going strong, Charlotte will always have somewhere to work.

PS: the movie really is awful

Updated On: 9/29/06 at 08:48 AM

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 9/29/06 at 11:20am

ACL will need to battle it's past to run much longer than two years.

The original was a classic and since this is a copy of that, there's no new fresh angle. And ome of the performers need to step up.

I see NY reviews being decent to mixed. No raves.

[lilylake4]

Posted: 9/29/06 at 12:06pm

2 years, until they make it a new movie musical (again) with an all star cast, and get Spike Lee to direct it.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/29/06 at 12:53pm

re: You Predict: 'A Chorus Line Will Run For...'



...cover, when the reviews come out.

Posted: 9/29/06 at 3:53pm

Nine months.

Posted: 9/29/06 at 6:04pm

Put me down for a year and a half.

[WSS2]

Posted: 9/29/06 at 9:35pm

Gawd. I'm really getting tired of hearing about this show. I would be more interested in this if they actually did something new instead of a retread of the same sets, choroegraphy, costumes, ect.

Hopefully this won't long too long.

[Broadway Baby4]

Posted: 9/29/06 at 10:06pm

I am guessing it'll last for 3 seasons.

[BroadwayScores]

Posted: 9/30/06 at 1:23am

I'm hoping your Christina Applegate comment is a throw to Charlotte d'Amboise who was her understudy and playing Cassie in the revival of A CHORUS LINE.

Charlotte, is the best kept secret on Broadway, after a career of covering roles and being an understudy she is finally getting her shot at opening a role in a Broadway show.

Knowing her and her husband Terry Mann personally, I'm so happy for Charlotte to be getting this chance, she deserves it... She's an amazing person and the best dancer on Broadway, we are all proud to see her finally 'making it' she's the last of the Broadway hoofers. And has two gorgeous children, Shelby and Jojo... so precious!!!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/30/06 at 1:42am

"Charlotte, is the best kept secret on Broadway..."

Well, not really.

"she is finally getting her shot at opening a role in a Broadway show..."

In a revival, alas.

I saw her open a role in a Broadway show back in the late '80s. A little masterpiece called "Carrie: The Musical."
THAT was something to see.

[OtherDaryl]

Posted: 9/30/06 at 11:17am

I love A Chorus Line and have no idea what the advance is . . . however, if it runs longer than a couple of months I'll be pleased. A couple of seasons with a National Tour and recoup, I'd be like a pig in a wallow. A Chicago-esque looooong run and I'll eat the straw Boater I used during the Rehearsal One for six months at a dinner theatre.

I recall Sir Richard Attenborough (sorry about the spelling) predicting Michael Douglas would get a Best Actor Oscar for the film. But then, well, Burt Reynolds predicted Liza Minnelli would get another Oscar for Lucky Lady. Those were strange and wondrous times.