Cast: John Partridge, Scarlett Strallen, Leigh Zimmerman, Gary Wood, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Vicki Lee Taylor, Gary Watson, Jon Tsouras, Adam Salter, Alexzandra Sarmiento, Michael Steedon, Alastair Postlethwaite, Andy Rees, Rebecca Herszenhorn, James T Lane, Marc Leslie, Daisy Maywood, Alice Jane Murray, Harry Francis, Katy Hards, Simon Hardwick, Lucy Jane Adcock, Georgie Ashford, Ed Currie, Frances Dee, Segun Fawole
Synposis: The ups and downs of Broadway auditions are in the spotlight as seventeen young dancers hopeful of a spot in the chorus of a Broadway show tell us their stories.
In an era of TV talent shows a back to basics approach to the story of auditions is a refreshing change of pace. A Chorus Line is a musical that strips bare all of the spectacle and focuses on a stage and its’ inhabitants. It’s strongest asset is also however it’s downfall; the show announced last month it was to bring it’s West End run to early finish and when competing again the likes of Sam Mendes’ lavishly spectacular Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Tim Michin’s perfectly staged Matilda it’s not difficult to understand why.
A Chorus Line is a simple show with a simple premise; seventeen young hopefuls auditioning for a spot in the chorus line of a Broadway show under the watchful eye of director Zach (John Partridge). We learn each auditionees story in turn as they step out of the line-up and take centre stage. We hear from a down on her luck former solo star desperate for a chance to be part of an ensemble again (Cassie, played solidly by Scarlett Strallen), Mike, who took his sister’s place at tap class, street wise and aging Sheila who might just be too old for the chorus these days, a foul mouthed Val who had plastic surgery to ensure she got more casting jobs and many others. Each is delivered with gravitas and sincerity but few stand out in the line up. Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, playing Puero Rican dancer Diana, underestimated most of her life, delivers two of the performance highlights in ‘Nothing’ and the ode to no regrets ‘What I Did For Love’. Rebecca Herszenhorn’s Val offers some comical relief in the highly enjoyable ‘Dance: Ten; Looks Three’ – a tongue in cheek number about the benefits of plastic surgery.
Marvin Hamlisch’s music and Edward Kleban’s lyrics still stand the test of time – they won the Tony award in 1976 for Best Original Score along with the show’s other 8 awards including Best Musical and Best Direction. However the music on it’s own is not enough to enthrall audiences and it is the show’s lack of staging or extravagence feels out of place.
The show is still due to tour the UK in Autumn 2014 and perhaps smaller venues will be a blessing in disguise. The 2,300 seats of the London Palladium were barely half full during the midweek show I attended and what A Chorus Line needs is an intimacy with it’s audience which it lacked in this performance. The effect of having its’ celebrity lead Partridge absent from the stage for the majority of the performance also hindered the relationship with the audience; his voice over from the back of the stalls (he literally sits at the back of the stalls so if you want to catch an up close glimpse of the Eastenders heartthrob you know what seats to book!) should leave the audience feeling more connected to the actors but instead felt like the show was missing a piece. Clocking in at an impressive 2 hours and no interval the show also suffers from a restless audience. There is not enough razzle dazzle in this production to keep an audience fully engaged for two hours and another device meant to encourage intimacy has the opposite effect.
Whilst the production cannot offer an intimate look into the back stories of these seventeen characters the actors do manage to build some sense of attachment and I was rooting for my favorites to be cast. Simplistic, enjoyable and with a strong ensemble cast this production just manages to have you walk away with that feel good factor a West End musical should.
A Chorus Line is running until the end of August and you can still book tickets here.
