A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
Egghumor, I'm not taking your bait,thanks. It's too early for me to have a sense of whether a well(but not rapturously)received lead performance in a likely flop is going to get a Tony nomination approx eight months from now. If it's a weak season with few well-regarded lead male performances, then sure he's got a shot.
And ACL2006, I doubt the show will even make it to New Year's. Though I'm not wishing for it, I wouldn't be surprised if the show closed very quickly.
I didn't see a byline for Brantley there (he could have written but who knows?), and as for being "par," I say it was much more dismissive than the others so far, if nothing else for the fact that the review is only three paragraphs!
OK... Now the entire review is there, byline and all.
Updated On: 9/10/12 at 11:07 PM
Brantley's review was firmly negative. The only person he had a kind word for (grudgingly) was Jenn Coella. He didn't like the book, score, concept, direction or choreography, and although he didn't pan McClure per se, he didn't have many kind words for him. It certainly wasn't a "star is born" reception. If anything he said McClure is capable, but can't rise above the material and often blends into the background.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
pulled from: Flashback! It’s the East End of London at the turn of the 20th century, and little Charlie (the immensely appealing Zachary Unger) is being encouraged by Hanna (Christiane Noll), his loving but mentally unstable mother, to observe the passers-by on the streets.
Increasingly, imposed concepts -- here the circus motif -- which once marked shows as stylistic and cutting edge -- seem to produce charges of pretentiousness and over-thinking at best and cliche-ridden at worst. Everything in musicals now must be framed as metaphor, the sustaining of which requires arch adherence to an overly familiar set of devices, indeed gimmicks (either a master of ceremonies or a chorus on hand to tell us what we're seeing and why). It's almost as if the genre must go full circle, to find new-slash-old-fashioned ways to tell a story that don't hammer theme and take-aways for us. It's become daring these days to start a show with a scene, the 4th wall not broken, and the characters singing to one another. The new high concept might be no concept.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Brantley also raved about Once (after the transfer), the Follies revival and Matilda during his annual London trip. He's capable of raves. In this case, one wasn't deserved.
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
I, too, often find fault with Brantley's bad writing and weird opinions, but this time I have to admit that we're exactly on the same page. This show was mediocrity across the board.
Does anyone know/remember the Newley/Bricuse musical CHAPLIN that tried out in the 80's but died after a few dates? I bet that one looks like gold now.
The reviews, although pretty much down the line negative, don't really tear the thing to shreds. It's not even that level of bad- it's just shrug-worthy. And all of the reviewers mention the same issues that members here have said.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."