Review: CHORUS LINE at CPCC Remains as Fresh as Ever – in Spots

Simple and realistic - while obeying the classic theatre unities of ancient Greece - Michael Bennett's A CHORUS LINE, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, was the coolest Broadway musical around, keeping its cachet for years after it opened in 1975. Part of the "singular sensation" was that it dispensed with the fripperies of musical theatre and humanized the quixotic kids auditioning for a precious few slots in the dancing chorus of a new Broadway show.

With the director, Zach, stepping out into the audience as he fires interview questions at the 17 finalists for the eight slots, the "singular sensation" dissolves the make-believe world of musicals - if we'll only believe that each finalist is speaking directly to us as he or she responds to Zach. A whole new generation immersed itself in Bennett's choreography, Hamlisch's music, and the book by James Kirkwood and Nicolas Dante. Keeping step with Edward Kleban's lyrics for the iconic "One" became a rite of passage.

As the show sidles into Halton Theater for the first time, we can see the many spots in the simple fabric that are showing their wear in this briskly-paced CPCC Summer Theatre production directed by choreographer Tod A. Kubo. Much of the wear possibly comes from the success of CHORUS LINE. If the show didn't exactly invent audition jitters and drama, it certainly helped open the floodgates for the more frequent depictions we see nowadays.

While simple candor may have been an edgy concept 40+ years ago, we can see easily enough that Kirkwood and Dante didn't go overboard in their script. "I Can Do That," "Sing," and "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" all seem to fit comfortably into the twinkling heyday of Neil Simon, rather cutesy and glib for many who are plunging into the Glee world of today. The format simulates candor, but the content takes a while arriving at depth.

So despite the effervescence that Kubo infuses into this production with his direction and choreography, I found myself only lightly engaged until we had skated through most of the narratives about the dancers' past. When we arrive at the present drama between Zach and his former love, Cassie - drama happening right before our eyes - even first-timers may experience that jolt reminding them how mundane an audition is compared to real conflict and drama.

Or maybe not: I've heard that American Idol and America's Got Talent, glorified auditions both, are fairly popular.

While the three previous productions that I've seen during this century alone have eroded my susceptibility, I did find Tony Wright - the one performer who doesn't sing - freshly compelling as Zach. Doubling as the production's dance captain, Meredith Fox has more than enough dancing individuality as Cassie to match the arc of her character, and the embers of past flames spark as she and Zach struggle to arrive at some kind of romantic closure while she reboots her aspirations and career.

Paul, another role that doesn't draw a solo vocal, is the other finalist who brings the action forcefully into the present - thanks to Tyler Dema's affecting vulnerability as he uncovers the reasons why Paul finds it impossible to open up in front of his fellow dancers. Zach's private huddle with Paul is another highlight in Wright's performance as well. Eleni Demos, new this season to CP, deserves a shout-out as Diana. Answering Zach's most disturbing question, she ably leads "What I Did for Love" - the enduring anthem of A CHORUS LINE.

So many newcomers play out their auditions on the Halton stage, an encouraging omen for the future. Even more heartening, the house was filled, up to and including the top row in the balcony. Best reminders of the stalwarts who have matriculated at CP Summer in previous seasons were Susannah Upchurch as the tone-deaf Kristine and Lexie Wolfe as the pint-sized Val, saddled with all those "tits and ass" refrains.

There were murmurs in my row that the fit of the iconic CHORUS LINE uniforms wasn't as tack-sharp as it should be. Too bulky or wrinkly? Perhaps, but Barbi Van Schaick's costumes certainly had sufficient dazzle teamed with Biff Edge's scene design and Gary Sivak's lighting. More concerning was the relapse in the Halton sound system. Levels never seemed to be right for long, too loud for the singing, too soft for the speaking, and often unclear for both. More equipment and more sound techs might have helped.