A Chorus Line

A Chorus Line is a musical predominately about dancers auditioning for a role in a professional show that they don’t know anything about.  They are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the audition process, still wondering if they will ever be cast for this mysterious show.

The musical encompasses a large cast of triple threat performers, which is always difficult to find.  A Chorus Line is one of those shows where this is essential for a successful performance season.

The clear standout performer in this production was Charlotte Robbins. Her singing was exceptional and her accent and acting seamless as she portrayed the role of Latino, Diana Morales. Her rendition of ‘Nothing’ was moving and ‘What I Did For Love’ nearly bought a tear to my eye.

We caught glimpses of Will McDonald (Richie) and Alana Spencer’s (Bebe) talents sporadically throughout the show. I felt their aptitudes on stage were underutilized. It would have been nice to see more of what they could achieve in this production.

Liam McWhinney made a suitable effort at portraying Paul, but his lengthy monologue showed lack of direction.  The dialogue was arduous and his mannerisms frustratingly repetitive.

Most issues in the production could have been reduced if the director had more one on one time with the actors; helping to construct and hone their characterizations and stamp out irritating movements, i.e. arm crossing, pursing of lips, overacting and some actors trying to overshadow others rather than working as an ensemble.

The set, which encompassed the back wall covered in mirrors, predominately with a black curtain covering them. At the times when they were exposed, the lights bounced off the mirrors making it uncomfortable for the audience.

Nonetheless, the simple set was effective in the dance sequence for Cassie (Katie White), where the audience had a complete view of her beautifully choreographed dance for ‘Music and the Mirror’ – which I must mention, was impeccably performed.

Dance sequences were proficiently arranged, although would have been better executed if they had more space on the stage. The central song ‘One’ began with pizzazz, but ended nowhere near the standard that it started with.

More time in the rehearsal should have been spent on the tap sequence and how to use your body appropriately to construct the proper sounds.  The space at Beaumaris Theatre is too small to accommodate that many cast members on stage effectively. 

I was dismayed to see that the characters that were ‘eliminated from the audition process’ in the first 10 minutes of the show didn’t get to come out at curtain call.

Penelope Thomas