Musical Forum Presents: A Chorus Line

Have you ever walked by a bunch of people in a crowd, or maybe lurched around on a subway car during the evening rush, and just suddenly thought about how every person around you has a real, unique life with actual, human complexities that you will probably never know? It’s kind of an awe-inspiring feeling, this sudden realization that the world holds so many big souls, all equally valid as yours. A Chorus Line shoves this realization down your throat, so that when you leave at the end of the show, you can’t help but feel a little dazed.A Chorus Line, directed by Danielle Perelman ’17, is not just a musical about dancing, but about being human. Standing in a line against a sparsely decorated dance studio, 17 prospective dancers tell their stories, hopes, and dreams as part of their chorus dancer audition. The characters range in age, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. We learn who they are, why they are here, what they hope to achieve. We learn how much they long to dance, and if you’ve ever wanted something so badly that rejection would feel like death, then you’ll know exactly how they feel. You don’t need to be a chorus dancer to relate to the characters in this musical. You just need to be human.I was instantly hooked from the opening scene. Warm lighting washed over what appeared to be a dance audition in action. The stage was minimally decorated by three aluminum boards positioned in such a way that it looked like a minimalistic dance studio. The dancers were already moving, some hustled in slightly late—their limbs were lithe with energy, bodies tense for their first number. As audience members, we always see the polished bits of a final production, but here, we have an intimate glimpse into the lives of dancers pre-production.“I hope I get it,” they sing while twirling and clutching a resume. A Chorus Line doesn’t have many sole speaking lines, so the cast members had to be extremely expressive through their singing and dance. Their stories were naturally expressed in tandem with dance and song. The phenomenal and unprecedented satellite pit, directed by Erin J. Reifler ’17, was so well assembled, it could easily have been mistaken for an audio recording. Choreographer Jason Vu ’17 produced remarkable work, and the dancing itself was full of energy and artistry.Some characters were bubbly, some shy, some sultry, some unlikeable, but we could relate to all of them. Zach (Zachary Riopelle ’19) plays the director leading the audition—we see him only at the beginning and near the end. He is a disembodied voice for most of the show, but he serves as a way to humanize all the dancers by engaging them in hard-hitting questions.Honestly, I was impressed by all of the cast members, who sang, dance, and acted simultaneously. Gracie Lawrence ’20 brought humor and spunk to the show with her character Val, a self-deprecating dancer with an unhappy childhood and a captivating solo. Her stage presence is absolutely electric; her voice even more so. Anthony Esielionis ’19 gave a compelling acting performance as Paul. Jasmine Thomas ’19 belted her heart out as Diana. Ironically, she was very emotionally expressive in a solo where she sang about not being able to feel enough as an aspiring actress. Aisha Zamor ’19 played Cassie, a fantastic dancer and fallen starlet who’d had an intriguing romance with Zach long ago. During her dance solo, the bare, minimalistic set of only three aluminum boards actually reflected and enhanced the lights, her star quality, and her bright red dress.We often do not think about the people behind the dancing, the amount of work they’ve put in to chase this dream. What are their favorite foods, movies, places to be? What are their bad memories, regrets, unfulfilled dreams, or deep ambitions? Who do they love? Who do they miss? For two hours, the audience gets to learn some of these things.Clearly, an unfathomable amount of work has gone into this production, and it has paid off. A Chorus Line is a captivating collaboration between the dance, theatre, and music and MEME departments of Brown. It features a diverse and talented cast, is incredibly entertaining, and will leave you with its soundtrack stuck in your head for at least a couple of days. If nothing else, you’ll walk out wishing you knew a little more about the dancers you saw on stage and the lives they’ve lived.A Chorus Line opened last night, Friday, November 4th, and runs until Monday, November 7th. Showtimes are at 8 p.m. every night, with an additional showing on Saturday, November 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are free and available at the PW box office one hour before the show.