A CHORUS LINE Opens July 30 at Desert Stages Theatre

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre will present A CHORUS LINE, directed by Lisa Barton Figueroa, opening Friday, July 30, and running through Sunday, August 8. A Chorus Line is a musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. Based on real Broadway dancers' stories, as told to fellow dancer and choreographer Michael Bennett, A Chorus Line is funny, heartbreaking, and refreshingly honest.

In the DST production, teens and young adults portray the dancers vying for a spot in the "chorus line" of a Broadway musical. After the first round of cuts, Zach (played by Anand Khalsa), the director and choreographer, asks each dancer to speak about themselves. Discomfort turns into revelation, confession leads to redemption, and within the bright, outwardly homogenous chorus, the audience begins to see each dancer's individuality. From Cassie (Falin Ossipinsky), the star who just needs the "music and the mirror and the chance to dance," to Val (Allie Angus), a small-town girl with a brand-new big-town body, to Mike (Jack Yampolsky), who took his sister's place in dance class, saying "I can do that."

Quote from DST Executive Director Ellen Versen: "A Chorus Line at Desert Stages Theatre features very talented performers who have been looking forward to returning to the stage for a long time - more than a year. A personal favorite, this show provides the perfect format to showcase these young actors' passion for performing."

Quote from A Chorus Line director Lisa Figueroa: "I've been looking forward to directing A Chorus Line since we announced the title in June of 2019! When COVID-19 hit, live theatre was taken away from us. It seems fitting that my first musical back as a director is about a group of performers going through an audition process, doing the very thing we've been so eager to get back to."

Cast:

Diana - Jamie Villarreal

Paul - Evan Kaushesh

Mark - Xander Zeeb

Val - Allie Angus

Kristine - Tiffany Sivak

Al - Christopher Poulios

Richie - AJ King

Judy - Brynn Granger

Bebe - Sadie Krotonsky

Bobby - Jacob Krotonsky

Sheila - Alexis Archer

Cassie - Falin Ossipinsky

Greg - Bailey Gorman

Connie - Ryenne Morgan

Mike - Jack Yampolsky

Maggie - Tabi Momeyer

Don - Jack Taylor

Zach - Anand Khalsa

Larry - Miranda Bellows

Tricia - Rylie Clore

Lois - Mallory Alvarez

Vicki - Sophie Perlstein

Roy - Colin Granger

Butch - Cole Blubaum

Frank - Lily Whipple

Tom - Matthew Sheade

A CHORUS LINE at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre runs from Friday, July 30, through Sunday, August 8. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

To purchase tickets to the shows, visit DesertStages.org or call the box office at (480) 483-1664.

For more information about Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre events, performances, productions, children's camps and more, visit DesertStages.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.