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I very much liked the strength and authority that Erica Mansfield displayed in her acting scenes as Cassie-the dancer who is seeking a job in the chorus, although the director (her former lover) feels she’s too talented and too much of a star for that. I am convinced it did as much or more to advance gay rights as anything else in that era.) (I can still remember the electrifying impact that Paul San Marco’s frank autobiographical monologue had when A Chorus Line first opened. He’s got a very important role and a difficult one, and he did a good job. He also possesses a beautiful singing voice I liked the warmth and the tone. And it worked! His character felt utterly real, and we were pulled in immediately. His delivery was conversational, almost matter-of-fact. Michael John Hughes played Paul San Marco-a sensitive gay man with a difficult past-with admirable restraint, subtlety, and nuance. The actor playing that dancer, I might add, gave the performance that I enjoyed the most in this particular production. Once again, I teared up when one dancer I’d come to like, at a climactic point in the show, was injured. And even though I know this musical inside out, I was surprised at just how much I cared. Even though the acting in this production is uneven, the material itself is so potent that we care greatly about the characters. The show’s great appeal to audience members is due, in part, to the fact that we can all see ourselves, to some extent, represented.Ī Chorus Line is such an unusually strong show-with a superb book (by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, derived from dancers’ taped comments about their lives) and score (by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban)-that even an imperfect production, such as this one, packs a powerful wallop. It is not just about dancers wanting to be in a show it reminds us of desires for success in life-and fears about whether we can achieve our goals-that we’ve all had. We learn the challenges they’ve faced, and we empathize. As they open up about themselves, we learn their hopes, fears, and aspirations.

(I’ve seen far too many of the latter in my life.) Truly great musicals are rare.Ī Chorus Line shows us dancers auditioning for a Broadway musical. I’d much rather see a flawed production of a truly great show than a great production of an undistinguished show. If my schedule permitted, in fact, I’d like to see it again. Westchester Broadway Theater’s current revival of A Chorus Line-running through April 1-is flawed, but well worth seeing. And I’ve enjoyed assorted productions of it since then. I saw the original Broadway production (conceived, directed, and choreographed by Michael Bennett) several times. The original New York production played at the Shubert Theatre from 1975 to 1990 at the time of its closing, it held the record as the longest-running show in Broadway history. It won seven Drama Desk Awards, nine Tony Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize. Profound, honest, and insightful, A Chorus Line is one of the great musicals. Reviewed by Chip Deffaa for Cabaret Scenes Westchester Broadway Theater, Elmsford, NY, January 20, 2018