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A Chorus Line A Chorus Line opened at the Shubert theater in 1975 and closed in 1990, after 6,137 performances. It held the crown as the longest running musical on Broadway until Cats at the Winter Garden broke the record. This musical about dancers took home nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line has always been one of my personal favorites from the archives of musical theater. There have been countless tour and regional versions of this 1976 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama. Even non-dancers can relate to the emotions brought forth from those on the "Line." Plano Repertory Theatre's A Chorus Line is the first local production that has been mounted in over ten years. Mark D. Fleischer's direction is first class all the way. His meticulous direction on the emotional catharsis of those on the Line is sublime. For some odd reason, the acting tier in past productions has made me feel as though it were the last element prepared for the show, a distant third to choreography and music. That is very much not the case here; Fleischer has created a naturalistic and organic production. He has brought out true flesh and blood performances instead of carbon copies of the cast recording. Fleischer also earns a commendation for casting one role completely against type. I've never seen Bebe played by an African American actress - it is like a splash of freshness in the piece due to this casting. Bravo, Mr. Fleischer. The pace for the most part flows at a solid, naturalistic speed. There is no intermission here, but because of Fleischer's professional direction and the cast's abundance in talent, you don't even notice it. Choreographer Paula Morelan must have been channeling Michael Bennett; she has kept extremely faithful to the original choreography, thereby honoring the beauty and emotional scope of Bennett's landmark work. There is a bit of a problem in the execution of the difficult choreography for some cast members, which does hinder the gorgeous dance visuals created by Morelan. But these accidents happen only sporadically. Morelan's technique and finesse make the choreography speak true to the emotion of the music, and it is breathtaking to watch. Morelan's recreation of such numbers as "I Hope I Get It," "Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love," and "One" are all superior. Her choreography is truly the star of the evening. Maestro Gary Okeson brings to dazzling life the Marvin Hamlisch penned score. The orchestra's reeds, trumpets, trombones, drums, and percussion fill the PRT theater with real honest-to-goodness music, not the electronic sound that tends to be presented nowadays. I truly do understand how expensive it is to have full orchestras, but it really adds so much to the the score when it is done live. The design elements are top notch as well. Scenic designer Bryan Wofford has created four triangular walls which change as the evening progresses. His creation of the finale is gorgeous with the art deco design of golds, blacks and silvers. Costume Designer Michael Robinson's costumes are true to 1975 , but his creations for the "One" finale are scrumptious. For this number he has used an overabundance of glossy champagne satin, rhinestones, sequins, and gold piping. They are impressive costumes indeed. Laura McMeley's lighting design captures the visual scope of the original perfectly. The emotional lighting she has designed does not overpower the performance, but instead deeply and truly enhances it. A Chorus Line is one of the few musicals that requires every performer in the cast to be solid triple threats, making it very difficult to cast well. The book has both dramatic and comedic elements, the songs have some big belting notes, and the dancing, well that goes without saying. PRT's production has an incredibly talented cast, but in all fairness, only two or three of them can truly be called triple threats (though almost all have two of the three talents mastered). Some are dancers who dance incredibly but lack vocal strength, or are dancers who dance up a storm but can't hit the right notes in their songs, or singers who cannot keep up with the more polished dancers. Don't get me wrong, this is a knock out company, but the weak spots are exposed as the production unfolds throughout the evening. There are 24 in this company - here are some who stand out: The opening number, "I Hope I Get It," has a few dancers that get cut early from the Line, but two of them deserve mention: Jonathan Collins shows strength and excellent dance technique in this large company number. He is so precise and clean that he truly does stand out. You are surprised when he doesn't make the cut, because in all honesty, Collins dances better than some of those who do make the cut. Brendan Cyrus adds a nice dose of comedy as the guy in the headband in this opening number as well. Brady Schwind as Zach is not seen for the most of the evening, but he does finally have stage time in the latter part of the piece. The actor has the machiavellian attitude of this Michael Bennett director/choreographer down pat. But what is totally refreshing is the sincerity and compassion that he brings to the character which has been missing from previous Zachs I have seen. Too many have stayed bitter and cold throughout the piece - Schwind does not. His touching and heartfelt approach to his scene work with Paul and Cassie feels honest and natural. Schwind is also the first Zach that I have seen in a very long time who dances in both the opening and final numbers. This actor truly rejuvenates this character. As Paul, David Plunkett captures the audience's heart. Plunkett's dance technique is professional, solid, clean, and fluid. Paul is the only male role with a monologue, and it's a dramatic one at that. I have observed past Pauls go over the top in the emotion, or stay monotone throughout. It's a very painful memory that Paul exposes to the audience. Plunkett gives what may be one of the best male performances in a musical this year. His organic, honest, and naturalistic approach to the arc of the scene is heartrending to watch. Plunkett has the audience in his hands, following him at every step of this aching confession. He is marvelous. Arianna Movassagh as Morales has to sing two of the most well known songs in the score, "Nothing" and "What I did for Love." This commanding actress again works her magic to bring delicate honesty to both songs. She comes equipped with a crystal clear soprano voice to aid in achieving success in her work. But she does not just sing the lyrics, she feels and expresses each verse. As she sings "What I Did For Love," the lights capture her large, brown eyes filling up with tears as she truly exposes what those lyrics mean to her. Movassagh provides yet another impeccable performance. The camaraderie between Plunkett and Movassagh is excellent to watch. As the two Latinos in the cast, they support and help each other out throughout the evening. After Paul's emotional scene, Morales consoles him, and that speaks volumes to the characters' friendship and bond with each other. As Cassie, Missy Matherne gives the best singing and acting performance of this role that I have seen in ages. She's the first actress/singer to truly show the pain and humiliation of having to restart her career from square one. Her scene with Schwind (Zach) is magnetic and deeply moving. These two approach the scene with dark anger and wounded hearts; it is fascinating to watch unfold on the stage. Matherne has a dark soprano voice that belts the hell out of a song. She is the first Cassie I have observed in many years who is able to belt and sustain the long note in "The Music and The Mirror." However, Matherne has problems with the dancing in this solo. It is a long dance number, and she seems to lose steam by the time she gets to the slow portion of the dance break. It is a very difficult task for anyone tackling this role, to sing this big belting number, to have an emotional breakdown within the scene, and then to dance like there's no tomorrow. For the most part Matherne succeeds. She delivers a stirring performance. Zahif Corkidi has created a very facetious and highly enjoyable performance of Mike, who has the first solo of the evening, "I Can Do That." Corkidi has added a slight New Jersey accent that creates wonderful laughter from his performance. He is also one of the strongest and best dancers of the evening. Laquet Thompson is quite frankly the best dancer in the entire company. She handles the choreography with excellent precision and professionalism. She is so hypnotic that you can't take your eyes off of her. Thompson brings an energetic and innocent quality to the role. She is simply luminous. C. Nicholas Morris can truly be called a triple threat. The role of Don has always tended to fall into the background, but not this time. Morris has a wonderful tenor voice that stands out, making him the best male singer of the company. His approach to his acting moments is heartfelt and achieves empathy from the audience. Finally, his dancing technique and execution is immaculate. In the large company there is also substantial and memorable work by Tommy Martinez as Mark - he is just hilarious in the role and is consummate with the demanding choreography. Denise Castillo is engaging as Connie. The role is usually played by an Asian, as she says in the script, "Connie Wong, always right-never wong!" Here Castillo's Connie is from North Carolina, thus adding a new and festive twist to the character. Shannon Dalton as Sheila creates the perfect ice cold and dyspeptic diva who is having a hard time accepting her age. She is exceptional. Lindsay Hand has one of my personal favorite solos of the evening "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three." Hand has the right amount of voluptuous showgirl sexuality and a tough as nails survivor quality that combine to create one of the most memorable performances of the evening. Jana Kelly provides a charming and laugh provoking scene stealing performance as the vocally challenged, tone deaf Kristine. Alas, there are some performers who don't match the others on the Line. As Ritchie, Willie Mann is not right physically or vocally for the role. This character has always sung the 'Give me the ball' solo in the "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" company number with a high belting tenor voice. Mann sings instead in a very low baritone - to the point where it is difficult to hear a lot of what he was singing. This is not helped by Mann's obvious difficulty with the choreography. It is perplexing that stronger male dancers in the opening number are cut, but not Mann. At the end of the evening when the final eight who do make the cut are on the Line it is even more obvious. But it should be noted that Mann does sing with a beautiful, falsetto tenor voice the high notes in the number. Kristi Rowan as Maggie seems to struggle with the demanding vocals required for her role. When she sings in her lower register, she sings with clarity and ease. But the role has some high, belting notes in the trio "At The Ballet," and Rowan does not possess the range for what the song requires. Sadly, she cracks or backs off those high, belting notes, which wounds her performance. In the performance I attended, there was also a few musical cues missed, and body mikes were popping or not brought up to full volume. There were a few times when the orchestra had to rush to catch up to the singers, or overpowered them with volume. Many of these small problems should be gone by now. A Chorus Line is an extremely arduous undertaking for any company. When one takes into consideration PRT's version which has magnificent direction, brilliant choreography, outstanding musical direction, dazzling design elements, and - for the most part - a tour de force cast, one can explicitly ignore the minor flaws in the overall presentation of this classic musical. Plano Repertory Theatre has mounted a very impressive and extraordinary revival of Michael Bennett's masterpiece. A Chorus Line plays through September 29, 2002. Call 972-422-7460 for tickets. PRT is located at The Courtyard Theater, 1509 H Avenue, Plano Texas. A Chorus Line Music By Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban Cast Vicki...............................Connie Marie Brown |
