Musical still toes
By Tim Ryan
the line on passion
Star-BulletinWhat "A Chorus Line" is about, says director/choreographer Mitzi Hamilton, is "all people are individuals but we really are still connected to one another, all in this together."
Who would know better about this Pultizer-Prize winning musical that opens today at the Blaisdell Concert Hall than the person who was the inspiration for one of its leading characters, Val.
" 'A Chorus Line' is about the motivations, trials and rewards that drive dancers revealed in this grueling pretend audition for a Broadway show," Hamilton said in a phone interview from New York City where she's lived nearly 30 years. "The play gives the audience a glimpse of the real problems that dancers face and asks some pretty tough questions like 'What do you do when you can't dance anymore?' "
The characters of "A Chorus Line" have become cherished archetypes over the last 20 years. Many young girls would kill to be able to play Cassie with her "Music and the Mirror," and many young boys envy the guy who gets to sing "I Can Do That." Any dancer from a teen-ager who's fresh out of school begging for a job to the jaded and aging dancer who refuses to throw in the towel, sees a familiar face reflected in this play, Hamilton said.
Michael Bennett's classic musical -- music by Marvin Hamlisch -- was a smash hit on Broadway, running for 15 years. When "A Chorus Line" premiered on Broadway in 1975, audiences and critics alike were astounded by its uninhibited dramatic style and choreography. The musical went on to win 10 Tony Awards, including a special Tony for -- at the time -- being the longest-running show in Broadway history. It has since been surpassed by "CATS."
"Michael's creation may be more than 20 years old, but the hopes, dreams and tragedies that face dancers remain fresh," Hamilton said. "Dancers still silently pray at every audition, 'God, I hope I get it.' "
As the production unfolds, each dancer tells his or her life story to the audience. They reveal passionate feelings about performing and the insecurities that are spawned by such a demanding, cut-throat profession. The show is dedicated to anyone who has ever danced in a chorus or marched in front of a crowd.
"Michael gave us hope (in 'A Chorus Line') to go after what makes us most happy," Hamilton said. "And though it's become a period piece, the message is timeless."
The stage is bereft of a traditional set and there is only one costume change. The pacing is rigorous, "seamless," Hamilton says, and the audience becomes part of that grueling pace. There's no intermission.
In the musical's "audition," the director asks the actors for their pictures and resumes as usual but also wants them to talk about themselves.
"Their personal goals and ideals become part of the audition," Hamilton said.
And that's what makes "A Chorus Line" so timeless, she said.
The passion necessary to toe the line in a true Broadway show is the stuff dreams are made of, Hamilton said.
It may be hard to believe by today's standards, but "A Chorus Line's" candor about sexuality -- including homosexuality -- spouse abuse and eating disorders was so shocking when it opened that it was briefly picketed by protesters. Then it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Singular sensation
What: A Chorus Line
