- The chorus line style of dancing was introduced in full#
- The chorus line style of dancing was introduced in series#
- The chorus line style of dancing was introduced in torrent#
One of my sweetest memories of Michael was sitting at a piano backstage in Buffalo, NY (Michael’s hometown). I felt sort of like I was having an out of body experience where I was still dancing but my feet and knees felt like mush and I had to look down to see if they were still there. So one by one we had to do the jazz combination alone onstage with the drummer.
The chorus line style of dancing was introduced in full#
Michael danced full out at some rehearsals and demanded the same. I wanted to please him and – luckily he liked my work. Still I was intrigued and loved him the first time I saw him in person. In his sparkly brown eyes, one could see that he knew exactly what he wanted, how he felt, how he was going to get that “moment” out of an actor. When I first met Michael Bennett in 1979 while playing Kristine in Boston, I was immediately drawn into his lightening-speed life force, his charismatic personality, and his deep passion for his work.
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I am glad they did or I may never have survived working in the theatre in NYC for 25 years, much less the A Chorus Line sagas. My parents were teachers who inspired artistic expression yet instilled a seriousness about life’s spiritual journey. Call it left brain, call it right brain, I learned showbiz is hard work.
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At our house in the basement, there was always a song and dance going on – costumes galore, records playing, silliness, kids, chaos, fun – all fun until it was time to clean up. My mom taught dance which insured that all six kids could afford lessons. It is the definitive “triple threat” experience. I am very grateful to the University of Michigan, Professor Brent Wagner and Linda Goodrich for inviting me to restage, recreate, and pass on “the gift” of Michael Bennett’s Tony-Award, Pulitzer-Prize winning A Chorus Line to this new generation of artists. whose support has helped make this production possible. The School of Music acknowledges the generosity of McKinley Associates, Inc. Music Director/Conductor: Cynthia Kortman WestphalĪssistant Director & Choreographer: Billy Johnstoneĭiana, Sheila, Bebe, Cassie: Dani Spieler Featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban, almost every song in “A Chorus Line” is familiar to audiences: “What I Did For Love,” “One,” “Nothing,” “Dance: Ten Looks: Three,” and “I Can Do That.” Artistic Staff The show garnered numerous awards, including nine Tony Awards in 1976 and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. What resulted was one of the most beloved musicals of all time.Ī Chorus Line ran for 6,137 performances and for some time was the longest running musical in history. The over 40 hours of tape was eventually boiled down to the original reality show, “A Chorus Line.” The show was workshopped for a year, a process that is standard for today’s Broadway-bound musicals, but was relatively unknown in the 70s. He gathered a group of Broadway dancers and talked to them about their hopes and the problems they had encountered pursuing a life on the Broadway stage.
The chorus line style of dancing was introduced in series#
Instead of a show that evolved a story where each event led to the next, “A Chorus Line” was, as composer and lyricist Maury Yeston described it, “a form in which a series of monologues linked by an idea could support an evening of theater.” The original idea was Michael Bennett’s, a veteran chorus dancer and choreographer. When A Chorus Line debuted in 1975, it was a radical departure from the typical Broadway show.
The chorus line style of dancing was introduced in torrent#
Once they get over the shock of Zach’s demand and realize he’s very serious about his request, we begin meet various theatre “gypsies.” First hesitantly, then in an increasing torrent of self-discovery, the stories of the dancers begin to unfold: Cassie, who has been a star but now can’t find work and is happy just to be back in the chorus Paul, a homosexual Puerto Rican who is searching for dignity as well as a job Connie, who at four-foot ten knows she’ll be able to work for a long time – as a child Val, the drop-dead beauty who reveals that she wasn’t always that way and Sheila, the thirty-year old cynic who has learned the hard way that she wasn’t cut out to be a ballerina. Where did they come from, what made them want to dance – what are their hopes, dreams, fears and disappointments? Once he has chosen the seventeen finalists, he asks the aspiring choristers to show him more than just what they can do – he wants to know who they are.
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In A Chorus Line, director Zach’s audition is something much more. On Broadway, an actor’s first hurdle is to pass the thank-you line and actually be allowed to audition. Bring 16 measures of a song, a monologue and be prepared to dance.”
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Jump to: Artistic Staff | Cast | Sponsors | Resources | Mediaīook by James Kirkwood and Nicholas DanteĪ typical audition notice will read as follows: “Looking for four women, four men for tight dancing chorus.