A CHORUS LINE - UNTARNISHED BY TIME
F.J. Hartland 

When I was still a teen-ager, I made my first trip to New York City. And the first Broadway musical I saw was A Chorus Line.

Consequently, I was a little wary to see it again after twenty…okay, thirty…all right already, thirty-plus years. Would it still be the show that so thrilled me all those years ago?

While I have slowly fallen apart, I am pleased to report that—other than some stilted dialogue—A CHORUS LINE remains untarnished.

A group of dancers is “on the line” auditioning for the chorus of a Broadway show. To get to know them better, the director Zack (played by Sebastian La Cause) asks each dancer to talk about his or her life. One of those dancers is Zack’s former lover Cassie (Robyn Hurder), who left the chorus to become a star—without much success.

Beginning with a dynamic series of dance combinations, the director’s assistant Larry (Brandon Tyler) puts the dancers through their paces. It’s an exhilarating opening that will leave you breathless. As the gentleman behind me remarked, “I’m going to be sore tomorrow just from watching this!”

Then the individual stories begin…some funny, some poignant. And each and every performer in this production creates a small “gem.”
A few stand-outs include:

Diminutive Hollie Howard. Don’t let her size fool you. A powerful voice comes out of this tiny body. She nails the sustained note at the end of “At the Ballet”—which did NOT happen when I saw the Broadway show back in 1977. Shannon Lewis brings humor to the show as the bitter and caustic Sheila. Athletic Clyde Alves does an amazing series of back flips across the entire length of the Heinz Hall stage in “I Can Do That.” As the dim-witted Judy, Bethany Moore scores big laughs.

Two of the most powerful scenes occur with just a single performer on stage.
Zack confronts Cassie about their relationship and her desire to return to the chorus during “The Music and the Mirror.” Robyn Hurder has the challenging task of arguing with Zack, then singing, then dancing, then singing some more, then dancing again and finally finishing the argument. And she is wonderful!

Kevin Santos has one of the most touching moments in the entire show as he tells the story of a boy desperately searching for a place to belong. Near the end of his monologue, his voice catches, and you will definitely have a lump in your throat, too. Bravo!

But in the end A Chorus Line is all about the dancing—and this production does not disappoint in that department. It is flawless.

My only real complaint is that two hours and five minutes is a long time to go without an intermission. Fortunately, the Heinz Hall ushers warn you as you enter, but still patrons are popping up and down to make restroom trips throughout the performance.

And I really don’t want to hear the song “One” again for a long, long time. It is performed over and over and over and was still ringing in my head when I got back to the parking garage.

The advertising tag line for A Chorus Line is “the best musical ever.” While I may not agree, it certainly is one of the best.

A Chorus Line continues through April 12 at Heinz Hall. Call 412-456-6666 for ticket information.