Weekend Review: “A Chorus Line”

As graduation looms, college seniors across the country can resonate with the lyrics: “I really need this job. Oh God, I need this job.” And while the current job market looks grim, the musical “A Chorus Line” shows that one’s passion can overcome any hardship.

“A Chorus Line” first opened on Broadway in 1975 and was revived to great acclaim in 2006. The entire show takes place in an audition room where 17 aspiring dancers chronicle their life stories while trying to get jobs in a dance chorus.

Their stories are based on the real lives of 22 dancers who participated in a workshop for the creation of the show in the 1970s.

The revival, currently at the Ahmanson Theater, brings to life the heart and soul of the original and proves once and for all that the show truly is “One singular sensation.”

With no overture (or intermission), the show jumps right into its unconventional structure with the iconic opening number “I Hope I Get It,” which showcases the incredible talent and determination of these performers. Watching this number, it’s hard to believe any of them could possibly be cut.

However, after the first cut is made and the 17 hopefuls take the stage, Zach (Michael Gruber), the director, asks them to tell him something he can’t learn from their head shots and resumes. Each dancer proceeds to tell a part of his or her life story ““ including sexual awakenings, parental disputes and self-image issues, and even though the show was written in the 1970s, these struggles prove just as relatable to modern audiences.

The song “I Can Do That” was slightly weak vocally, but the dance ““ the focus of the number as Mike (a limber Clyde Alves) sings about stealing his sister’s dance shoes ““ was flawless. Anyone who can do back handsprings and sing at the same time should be lauded.

Natalie Hall as Val, a bubbly Southern girl who learns upon arriving in New York that she can’t get a dance job without good looks to boot, hammily steals the show.

Her number “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three,” or more affectionately called “Tits and Ass,” had the audience in stitches. She sang as if her whole life really did depend on breast implants.

However, the show’s humor is punctuated by the blatant realism of the dance ““ and working ““ world.

Through dancers such as Sheila, the almost-30, ballsy chorus girl, performed flawlessly by Emily Fletcher, who keeps passing the deadlines she sets for herself, and Paul (a heart-wrenching performance by Kevin Santos), the homosexual Puerto Rican who led a secret life as a drag queen just to quench his dancing passion, these dancers prove to be scarred individuals in addition to talented performers.

Most notably, Nikki Snelson as Cassie, the director’s ex-girlfriend who tried to be a star in Los Angeles and failed, captured the heart of her character and of the show.

In her climactic number “The Music and the Mirror,” Snelson finds the perfect balance between emotion and determination, and as the mirrors drop from the ceiling for her dance break, she expresses herself through the show’s most important creative medium: dance.

But for dancers trying to “make it,” time is of the essence, and though securing the job in the first place is challenging, dancers can only dance for so long until, as some may learn too quickly, their bodies fail.

Before the final dancers are selected at the end of the show, the director poses the question: “What will you do when you can’t dance anymore?” And while some joke about growing old and enjoying getting fat, Diana (Gabrielle Ruiz), the sharp-witted Hispanic girl, steps forward and poignantly sings “What I Did for Love.”

This song epitomizes all performers’ love of their craft, and even though they may never leave the chorus, at least they’ll love what they’re doing.

And for graduating seniors, what “A Chorus Line” ultimately teaches is that whether it be dance or investment banking, whatever you do, do it with all your heart and, most importantly, do it for love.

““ Suzy Evans

E-mail Evans at [email protected].