Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Ivoryton Playhouse’s latest musical is “A Chorus Line”, the 1976 winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is a musical based on the lives and experiences of Broadway dancers. Original director/choreographer Michael Bennett wanted to do a show with the spotlight on the class of performers known as gypsies. The action takes place in an empty theatre, on a bare stage, where the casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. For 17 dancers, it is a chance of a lifetime. It’s the one opportunity to do what they always dreamed of, not only to be a star but to get a job, the chance to dance. Through a series of interviews from funny to heartbreaking, it ushers the audience into the lives of these dancers until the final 8 are chosen. The original show opened on April 15, 1975 and ran 6,137 performances, closing on April 28, 1990. Director/choreographer Todd Underwood directs and choreographs this show. Todd creates a topnotch version of this show with his talented cast and the fabulous musical direction of Michael Morris is the crowning touch to this show as they create a Broadway caliber musical in Ivoryton, CT.
This version is performed in two acts and it flows along beautifully. From the opening montage to the final kick line, the wonderful choreography comes forth one number after the other. Todd does a superb job with his hard working cast and gives each cast member their moment to shine in the show. He blocks the show beautifully especially “Hello 12, Hello 13″ number which won the longest applause. Todd makes the most of the comic moments with some of the funny one liners supplied by an uncredited Neil Simon as well as the comic songs ”Sing”, “Nothing” and “Dance Ten.” However it is his skill with the dramatic moments that stand out especially the stunning monologue by Paul at finally being accepted by his father, and the emotionally draining “What I Did for Love” sequence which tugs on your heartstrings and gives the show its emotional and poignant backbone to satisfy the appreciative audience. Michael supplies the music direction for the show, having taught the cast the songs and conducting a splendid 9 piece orchestra. He obtains marvelous harmonization from the cast.
This talented cast is lead by Edward Stanley as Zach, the director/choreographer of the show within a show. His physical presence onstage with the dancers is wonderful as his consolation scene with Paul. Edward handles both the comic and dramatic scenes beautifully. Stephanie Genito returns back to Ivoryton Playhouse to play Cassie. Cassie is Zach’s ex-girlfriend and he can’t understand why she wants to return to the chorus line after ten years. She explains her motives “The Music and the Mirror” solo number. Cassie shows Zach why she wants to return to Broadway after all these years. Stephanie’s best dramatic moment occurs when she finally stands up to Zach during “One” where they are learning the dance for the first time. Max Weinstein, a fantastic dancer plays Zach’s assistant choreographer, Larry fabulously.
Natalie Madlon plays the role of Diana. I last reviewed her in “West Side Story” here as Anita. She makes the most of her dramatic and comic scenes. Her comic song “Nothing” leaves them rolling in the aisles as she sings about her terrible improv teacher, Mr. Carp but also leaves them in tears at the emotional anthem of the show “What I Did For Love” with the harmonic balance of the chorus blending perfectly during it. Joey Lucherini is wonderful as Paul. He is not only an excellent dancer but actor and vocalist, too. Joey’s voice soars in his “Who Am I Anyway?” and he delivers a gut wrenching and heartbreaking monologue about being molested at the movies as a little boy. He eventually becomes a drag queen at the Jewel Box Theatre where he is seen by his parents on his closing night and is finally accepted by his father for who he is. His father tells the producer to take care of his son, the first time his father ever called him son. When Joey breaks down in tears, the audience cries right along with him.
Dakota Hoar does a terrific job as Mike with the opening solo number “I Can Do That” where he performs a brilliant tap dance. Mike explains how he took his sister’s shoes to dance class one day and became the dancer in the family after that. One of the most comic performers in this show is Lili Thomas as Sheila, the bitchy 30 year old diva. She has some of Neil Simon’s best and cutting one liners which all win many laughs. Lili uses a sultry voice in her singing, too. She, Liv Kurtz as Maggie and Kayla Starr Bryan as Bebe sing the touching number “At the Ballet” which tells about their tough family life while growing up and how they escaped from it at their ballet dance classes. Both Liv and Kayla display their soprano voices in this number. Another hilarious role is Val played perfectly by Alexa Racioppi who sings and dances up a storm in her tits and ass number “Dance 10, Look’s 3.” She is a gorgeous blonde with a strong belting voice that pours out into the audience and as Val garners many laughs with her colorful language, too. Alexa is one of the best Val’s I have ever seen. The married couple Al and Kristine are well played by Carl Zurhorst and Amanda Lupaccino. Their song “Sing” is very funny as the audience learns that Kristine can’t sing so Al has to sing her answers for her which leads to much laughter. Carl’s voice is fantastic in this song.
Other comic roles include the best Bobby I have seen, played by tall, dark haired Sam Given who is very flamboyant and hilarious in this role and tells anecdotes about spray painting a friend silver and breaking into people’s houses to rearrange their furniture, Greg played by Schulyer Beeman who changed his name because he is Jewish and went through puberty with a hard on, Judy played by Sarah Warrick who loses her number near the start of the show and she also shaved her sister’s head one time, too and the youngest dancer, Mark played by Matthew Carp. He has funny lines about gonorrhea and does a great job dancing, too. Two other cast members doing a good job are Ronnie Bowman as Richie, the very buff basketball player who wants to be a kindergarten teacher who does a great jive dance and scat part in “Hello 12” to close Act 1 with a powerful finish and the shortest member of the line Connie played by Lina Lee who does a hilarious tap dance in the last montage and wins many laughs with her comic antics. Cory Candelet plays Don, the married dancer who tells a funny story about a stripper called Lola Latours with big boobs. I last reviewed him as the hilarious, Eugene in “Grease.” Kudos to everyone who makes this a musical to be very proud of. The dancing by one and all is incredible. Bravo! So for a fabulous version of this award winning show, be sure to catch “A Chorus Line” at The Ivoryton Playhouse before the cast dances their way out of town for good. Tell them Tony sent you.
“A CHORUS LINE” ( 8 August to 2 September)
Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St, lvoryton, CT
1(860)767-7318 or www.ivorytonplayhouse.org
