I went to see 'A Chorus Line' at the London Palladium and had front row seats in the Royal Circle so had a perfect view. I've never seen it before and have never been able to watch the film all the way through so I was in for an interesting night when I would finally learn what happens in this story and who wins in the end.
You know the story, of course, the tale of a day of auditions for dancers for the chorus line of a new Broadway show. We have new hopefuls and jaded dancers from a dozen other chorus lines, dancers who want to dance and dancers who need the money it'll bring. As the play unfolds we get to learn something about their lives, their hopes, dreams and fears, as they work their way through the audition process. We see them dancing, singing and talking, telling jokes and becoming 'real' people in front of us, people who, in some cases, we start to care about.
It's set in 1975 so the costumes are less than glamorous and feature a lot of brown/tan shades but we're spared the worst excesses of flares. The set is an empty theatre stage with a white stripe across the floor and a set of mirrors that turn round every now and then to become a matt black wall. The only costume change is when the dancers get hats to practice the big number with - and then we get the glitzy big number at the end with everyone in gold lame suits looking every inch the Broadway chorus line.
Some of the tales told by the dancers were fun and others heartbreaking, from the girls remembering when they escaped their home lives to go to the fantasy world that is the ballet, to the dancer who can't sing whose husband completes each sentence for her and the man who just needs money to feed his children. We hear of the ugly ducking who had work done to give her tits and ass (which really ought to be the title of the song rather than 'Dancing: Ten, Looks: Three'), of the girl who couldn't get on with her drama teacher and could feel nothing, of the lad whose first job was in a drag show and who was terrified of telling his parents and, when they find out, his father tells the producer to look after his son, the first time the boy has heard his dad call him 'son'. Some of the tales are touching and others are fun. All life is here.
There are no leads as such, it's a great ensemble piece with everyone stepping forward into the limelight now and then as well as taking their part in making up the backing troupe. The closest we get to leads are in the shape of Zach (the director) and Cassie (his former lover who tried to become an actress in Hollywood but is now back for a chorus job). She had extended dance sequence when she tries to prove herself to him, prove that she that she deserves a place in the chorus line despite him thinking she is too good. he pushes her hard for the rest of the play. Zach is played by John Partridge who you might know from 'Eastenders' but I know from playing the genocide peroxided Marilyn in the original cast of 'Taboo' ten years ago. Cassie is played by Scarlett Strallen who I last saw in 'Passion' at The Donmar Warehouse and as Truly Scrumptious in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' on the same Palladium stage.
I didn't really know what to expect but I thoroughly enjoyed the production and intend to go back to see it again. It's incredibly polished and professional, as you'd expect. I particularly like Leigh Zimmerman as the ageing Sheila who's done it all, sassy and knowing, and lets the mask slip when she wonders if she could open a dance studio when she can no longer dance professionally. I liked Scarlett as Cassie who utters the line, 'God, I'm a dancer and dancers dance!' before launching into an extended solo performance. Harry Francis was great as young Mark who wants his first Broadway job and Gary Wood was excellent telling the story of his hurtful past and realising that his father loved him but had never said so. I'd also single out Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Puerto Rican Diana wanting her first Broadway job but not wanting to be the first to speak. Victoria was great and has a really powerful voice, definitely someone to watch out for.
If you get the chance then do go and see it. It's a tremendous production that deserves to run for some time and stick in the memory of everyone who sees it. I'll remember it.
We all know 'The King and I' by Rodgers and Hammerstein and we've all seen the film with Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner and enjoyed them bouncing around the palace to 'Shall We Dance?'. But have you seen it performed live in front of you? It's just as magical and includes all those sequences we remember from the film. And why shouldn't it since it was a stage musical years before it was filmed.
It's a really good production imported from Lincoln Centre in New York and by the same team that put on 'South Pacific' in 2009. Coincidentally, the role of Ensign Nellie Forbush was originally played by Kelli O'Hara but she'd left before I got to see it in 2010. Kelli played Anna in the revival of 'The King and I' and we were lucky enough to have her transfer with the production to London, along with Ken Watanabe as the King. I'm very familiar with Kelli's voice from the 'South Pacific' cast recording and it was marvellous to see and hear her sing these iconic songs on stage in front of me.
