ACL - I Hope I Get It - Cassie doesn't sing

[morosco]

According to a note in the printed libretto (and/or the vocal score) Cassie doesn't sing during "I Hope I Get It".  Does anyone know why?  Was this to give the actress vocal rest in anticipation of the demands of "The Music and the Mirror"?

[haterobics]

She already had it?

[newintown]

I imagine it serves to set her apart from the others; however, does anyone ever notice that she isn't singing?

If it were to save her voice for "Music and the Mirror," then Morales would also not sing, I'd think (she has two songs).

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Maybe because Cassie is emotionally in a different position from the other dancers with her past experience and preexisting relationship with Zach. She's not really there to prove herself as a dancer but as someone who needs to convince and plead with Zach to allow her to go back to the chorus and work.

[BrodyFosse123]

Cassie has achieved everything every one at the audition hopes to achieve: being a featured dancer in shows and eventually becoming a successful actor on stage, TV and film. Sadly, the acting portion failed her colossally so she’s had to make her peace with the reality that she’s only a dancer. Her limitations were evident when the opportunities she had didn’t push her further in her career.

By having her not sing “I Hope I Get It” singles her out from the others who are younger and still hopeful whereas she’s now just trying to support herself doing what she can only do: dance. Even if it’s in the chorus. The star who’s now back at point one.

[dramamama611]

Well, considering that no one is actually singing, no other characters would notice her not, not singing.  They are inner monologues.   She's not wistful, she's practical and a bit dissillusioned...her thoughts are strictly on the audition itself....without hopes and dreams.

[newintown]

I meant - has anyone here ever noticed while watching the show that Cassie isn't singing? I've watched it many times, and never noticed.

[DottieD'Luscia]

I never noticed either.  Shocking considering I saw the tour of the recent Broadway revival 4 times when it played DC several years ago.

[morosco]

I wonder if she's not singing or if she looks like she's singing but only mouthing the words to conserve her voice?

[haterobics]

morosco said: "I wonder if she's not singing or if she looks like she's singing but only mouthing the words to conserve her voice?"

Seems a bit odd to put in the printed libretto for a character to specifically not sing to preserve their voice for a later song. If it's in the book, it seems like stage direction.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Has anybody checked out any clips of the number and see if we can get a good glimpse at what Cassie is doing?

[SonofRobbieJ]

I have never noticed this, but what a great detail.  I just went back to watch the opening of the '76 Tonys and, though it's truncated, you can clearly see McKechnie's Cassie not singing and never taking her eyes off of Zach when they get to the 'God, I think I've got it...' section.  I'm not a dancer, so never had the chance to explore A Chorus Line from the inside, but I keep learning fun details about it when I read about it and such.  

[fosseboi008]

It is indeed in the stage direction and a deliberate choice. Any production utilizing the original direction/choreography never has Cassie sing in the opening number. It has nothing to do with MATM, that's a good hour down the road. As someone mentioned earlier these are all inner monologues from everyone at an audition. She isn't in the same head space as the others. She doesn't even have a number, she crashed. Plus she is back in a chorus audition for the first time in years, surrounded by people who clearly know her, and about to dance for Zach for the first time in a long time. She's focused on him only. She wants to get his attention. In the introducing of their names down the line she steps forward to want to talk to Zach privately, only to dismissed by him and placed back in line. She thinks at first that going through this is little silly because he knows what she can do.  And quite frankly the lyrics don't make sense for her, "Now I'll never make it" (she was a star!), "He doesn't like the way I look/dance (umm yeah he does!), "God, I really blew it" (pretty sure Cassie doesn't blow a dance audition if anything).

[GavestonPS]

Good analysis here and a
good choice by the creators.
But I worked with the Int'l
Company for two months,
so that's 64 performances
plus a tech and I never
noticed that Cassie wasn't
singing.

There's just too much
going on in the number and
the audience doesn't know
who Cassie is yet. (Neither
of which is a reason why
she SHOULD sing, of course.)

[fosseboi008]

That's part of the beauty of the show. There are hundreds of deliberate but nuanced choices that go unnoticed. Many only see them if you've been part of the creative team at some point, done the show several times, or just a huge fan. Nothing about this show when done with the original direction/choreo is by accident. Every head tilt, "mistake", gesture and more are planned with full stories on why it's that way if you're working with someone with all the back-story and tid-bits.

[Loopin’theloop]

It’s less a matter of the audience ever noticing or even being able, that it is about the actress. She starts her journey as the character here and the choices made in the opening are going to inform the work later. I would imagine, Luke with many small details such as this, in the rehearsals it was a conversation with Donna M that lead to the later stage direction.

[blaxx]

She doesn't need to sing. All she ever needed was the music, and the mirror and the chance to dance.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Threads like this are why I enjoy BWW.  This is such a fascinating tidbit that I never would have known otherwise.  

If the choice to not sing is based on what would be appropriate for the character, why would Kristine?  She tells us later that she can’t.

[dramamama611]

1.  It's inner monologues....she isn't REALLY singing.

2. People who are bad singers can still ENJOY singing.   

3. It's the character that can't sing well, not the actress -- voices are needed.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

dramamama611 said: "1. It's inner monologues....she isn't REALLY singing.  . . ."

Yes, this makes sense.  Thanks.  

[fosseboi008]

dramamama611 said: "1. It's inner monologues....she isn't REALLY singing.

2. People who are bad singers can still ENJOY singing.

3. It's the character that can't sing well, not the actress -- voices are needed."

Exactly. Just their inner thoughts. Just like  "And".