A Chorus Line

A Chorus Line
Arvada Center
Arvada, CO
September 12 - October 1, 2017

Back before Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, A Chorus Line was the longest running show in Broadway history. Despite that success, a generation of theater-goers have not had many opportunities to see the show. The current Arvada Center production gives these audiences a chance to see it.

The two most famous songs from the show “One” and “What I Did For Love” do little to prepare an audience for the story. The show is an audition where 16 hopeful dancers compete for roles in an upcoming Broadway show. Through a rigorous interview process, the audiences got to know each character.

The result is we got to know the dream behind each dancer. These were fully realized people and not caricatures. Each role was well cast. Their skills were equal to the task of taking a small snippet of the script and creating a believable character.

The music was beautifully arranged. The choral treatment of “What I Did For Love” was exquisite. Of course, the real star of the show was the dancing. The dancers here displayed incredible skill.

The setting for the action was an audition for a Broadway show. Anyone who has participated in theater knows this often takes place in an empty space. Hardly glamorous. And the set for the show looked just that way. However, at specific points in the show, cleverly hidden mirrors appear behind the dancers for added depth to the set. It also morphs into a glittery backdrop for the showy finale.

With its talented cast and thoughtful staging, A Chorus Line looks good for its age.