Chorus Line @ NY City Center

[FANtomFollies]

Any word on the cast and crew for this production? Searched the site and couldn't find any threads on it. 

[ACL2006]

Their casting call was a few weeks ago. I'd bet it's mostly repeat actors that have done the show before (recent tour). Jessica Lee Goldyn is available now with Dolly! closed, so I wonder if she'll be Cassie.

[Sondheimite]

i honestly can't think of any real exciting possibilities for casting. 

pretty sure it will just be a plug and play of actors who have played the roles before. 

[Elegance101]

I know some newcomers (like people fresh out of college) were in callbacks for major roles. Including a white girl who was in callbacks for Diana. I do think they’ll end up using repeats, but I don’t think they’re counting out newcomers.

[Bwayfan292]

Tons of broadway ensemble dancers where at the callbacks. Examples include,

Paloma Garcia Lee, Elosie Kropp, Sarah Meahl, Mikey Winslow, etc.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Elegance101 said: "I know some newcomers (like people fresh out of college) were in callbacks for major roles. Including a white girl who was in callbacks for Diana. I do think they’ll end up using repeats, but I don’t think they’re counting out newcomers."


Could have been for the understudy/"cut dancer" tracks. Even though it's Encores, that choreo is demanding and it would be easy for even Chorus Line veterans to get hurt.

This is such a boring premise, if they do go with a lot of performers who have done it before and the same second-hand staging. I'm really hoping to be pleasantly surprised. If they're going with the Bennett staging, I think the most exciting thing would be someone like Sutton Foster as Cassie.

And let's PLEASE have a more diverse production than the revival/original... (Or even a cast of entirely non-white actors!)

[CaseyBrent41]

Tons of broadway ensemble dancers where at the callbacks. Examples include, 

Paloma Garcia Lee, Elosie Kropp, Sarah Meahl, Mikey Winslow, etc.

They were auditioning for West Side

[Bwayfan292]

CaseyBrent41 said: "Tons of broadway ensemble dancers where at the callbacks. Examples include,

Paloma Garcia Lee, Elosie Kropp, Sarah Meahl, Mikey Winslow, etc.

They were auditioning for West Side"

ahh!

 

[dave1606]

Do we think there will be discounts for this? I can't get myself to pay $50 for rear balcony or $75 for front balcony for a show that has no casting announced. Even the previous galas were not that expensive! Seems that at least for the balcony there are plenty of seats left. 

[Kad]

I had been hearing that Sutton Foster was going to be Cassie, but that was several months ago. No idea if it's still valid.

[SomethingPeculiar]

I would think they'll discount later. ACL was only on Broadway 10 years ago, the bridge-and-tunnel folks have had many chances to see it on tour/regionally, and unless they really shock us it's not going to have an interesting cast.

Worth noting, BRIGADOON did sell out with prices like that, BUT Brigadoon also had more going for it (O'Hara, Wilson, Wheeldon, and hadn't been seen in NYC in decades). 

[ACL2006]

Yeah, they need some selling points for this production. Using the same recycled actors won't get people to buy tickets. Maybe they should offer something new, like make Cassie male? Flip Al & Kristen? Change the final cut?

[Bwayfan292]

Im not sure how it would affect the story, but a cool idea would be if they went the drood approach and had the audience select the outcome. Like, the audience selected which dancers were cut based on their auditions.

[Elegance101]

Bwayfan292 said: "Im not sure how it would affect the story, but a cool idea would be if they went the drood approach and had the audience select the outcome. Like, the audience selected which dancers were cut based on their auditions."

The original concept was that new characters would get picked every night. But the quick changes from the audition outfits into the gold outfits for "One" wouldn't work if they did that, so they decided to ditch the idea.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Kad said: "I had been hearing that Sutton Foster was going to be Cassie, but that was several months ago. No idea if it's still valid."

Seeing as she's doing Roundabout's Benefit of MY ONE AND ONLY on November 12 and A CHORUS LINE runs November 14-18, I'd imagine this is a no-go, as the rehearsal processes would likely overlap.

[Sondheimite]

(I know this is just a gala show but)

I think the most recent Broadway revival proved that A Chorus Line needs a visionary to re-imagine it or it's a boring/tired musume piece. 

[Kad]

BroadwayGuy12 said: "Kad said: "I had been hearing that Sutton Foster was going to be Cassie, but that was several months ago. No idea if it's still valid."

Seeing as she's doing Roundabout's Benefit of MY ONE AND ONLY on November 12 and A CHORUS LINE runs November 14-18, I'd imagine this is a no-go, as the rehearsal processes would likely overlap."

It would be doable, should Sutton want it; since My One and Only is one-night only and Roundabout's galas tend to be on-book presentations, they most likely have fairly limited rehearsal time available to them from Equity. The question of course is if Sutton would want to have such a busy couple weeks.

[dianamorales]

I love Sutton as much as the next person, But theres no way she could dance it.

[Sondheimite]

I'd like this Gala to go like this:

Double cast each role with a Broadway "name" singer and a fantastic up and coming dancer.

Have the dancers dance the number while the Broadway Name sings/act the number.

Everyone goes home happy.  Yay!!!

[JSquared2]

Sondheimite said: "I'd like this Gala to go like this:

Double cast each role with a Broadway "name" singer and a fantastic up and coming dancer.

Have the dancers dance the number while the Broadway Name sings/act the number.

Everyone goes home happy. Yay!!!"

 

No thanks.  We're good.

[Sondheimite]

[Nah, delete.  not worth it]

[SomethingPeculiar]

Sondheimite said: "Double cast each role with a Broadway "name" singer and a fantastic up and coming dancer."

I had a similar thought, except that they pair performers from the original with newcomers. It would have to be carefully done so it's not confusing, but Chicago did something similar with one of their anniversaries: a different performer or small group of people did each song. (The sad part is, a number of ACL's original dancers are no longer with us, and few of them would be able to dance it now.)

[Bwayfan292]

Sondheimite said: "I'd like this Gala to go like this:

Double cast each role with a Broadway "name" singer and a fantastic up and coming dancer.

Have the dancers dance the number while the Broadway Name sings/act the number.

Everyone goes home happy. Yay!!!"

Im actually down for this. You can get some great names if this was the plan. 

[FANtomFollies]

I'm curious if they go with a big name for Zach....I know traditionally you barely see him, but they did stunt casting with Mario Lopez in the last revival. Also I was thinking they would try to get a pop star who dances for Cassie...someone like Ciara or Zendaya?

[R. GreenFinch]

Okay, we're less than a month out. This seems really weird that we have no info about the cast at all.