Michael Bennett, Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood, Nicholas Dante
A Curve Leicester, production
The Lowry, Salford
July 23-27, 2024; 2 hrs, no interval
First produced in New York in 1975, A Chorus Line is the quintessential music, dance and acting show.
Many musicals since have paid homage to it. I was lucky to have seen it in its original form in New York in 1980; so, does this short summer tour of Nikolai Foster's 2021 production for Leicester's Curve stand the test of time?
Yes in spades: from the first number, I hope I get it, to the finale One, the company rouses the spirits, raises
the roof and gets the audience on its feet.
Most people will know the story ; a group of hoofers are auditioning for a place in the chorus and tell their stories - then dance their aching feet off. And sing, magically .
As its an ensemble piece with 18 major players its hard to pick out individuals for praise, but aside from returning Adam Cooper as director Zach and Mercedes Dyer as Cassie - both from the original Curve production - step forward Amy Thornton, as one of the best vamping acts in the business. She's very difficult to ignore - especially dancing in heeled shoes, an astonishing feat to non-dancers.
Chloe Saunders has one of the funniest songs and makes the most of it: Dance, Ten; Looks, Three
may be a relic of the time when casting couches were exactly that; or maybe it still is.
The need to be a dancer, a singer and an actor will sometimes mean one talent shows the strain. Mireia Mambo as Richie shows she is both a great dancer and has a wonderful voice. Look out for her in the future.
So what has changed in the 50 years since A Chorus Line's first production? Mainly its the social attitudes to sexuality. It's chastening to be reminded that families were painful places if you weren't willing to accept the rules and not stand out. Ordinary was a good place to be if you wanted to be left alone. It's also chilling to remember that the stories are based on what real dancers told creator Michael Bennett back in the 1970s, unaware that coming down the line was the AIDS tragedy.
The show runs for two hours straight through. Some shows can make 45 minutes feel like several days;
this dances through at the speed of light, leaving an exhausted audience shouting for more from an
exhilarating cast.
More info and tickets here
