There are probably a few people out there who haven't seen 'A Chorus Line' yet. In one of many formats. We're sure that there's versions in Yiddish, Ukrainian and Urdu...puppet versions, (awful) film versions, children's theater versions...ok, we made that up...'Chorus Line', for all it's familiarity, is not for the entire family unless you make some harsh cuts.
The show is a product of its time and, in the right hands, retains some the original, seedy 70's vibe that rescues the story from becoming the sum of "One" and "What I Did For Love." It's a performer's show. Actors, especially the song and dance variety, flock to auditions for this one, creating a parallel, real-life version of the not-so-fictional characters struggling for stardom between the proscenium arches. It is for that very reason that 'Chorus Line' lives on. And all any production has to muster is a few good dancers, a couple of decent singers, some mirrors and a box of top hats. Easy.
Or is it? There are as many god-awful versions of this show as there are tolerable ones and very few good ones. We expect that the higher up the food chain you climb in professional Theater, the better the production value. So, short of a touring stop at PPAC, Theatre by the Sea has Rhode Island's best shot at doing right by Michael Bennet's original vision and providing some entertaining razzle dazzle and fun for two hours. Because, unless you're in it, or want to be in it, there's really no other reason to watch it. Besides, any excuse to visit the pride of Matunuck is a good excuse.
I Toured My ACL
Waiting at the front entrance of the venerable old barn for the opening of the 2010 Summer Season, More Teeth couldn't help being struck by the number of blue-haired subscribers talking about their rheumatism and mammograms and how they weren't really interested in this season at Theatre by the Sea. Well, 'Hello Dolly' of course, but the quote: " Little Shops of Horror?...I dont know what that is..." seems to have summed up the vibe of the night. But these are Subscribers who were there to support this theater no matter what. No matter what indeed...
June 2nd was the first preview of this show, and as a result, More Teeth will be as kind as possible. Even Joel Kipper, the theater's vice-president and secretary asked us all to be forgiving, almost apologetically, while showing us where the exits were and asking us to return in September for a fund raiser.
And we're off. The cast, on first glance, looks immediately puzzling to More Teeth - we can't help but think something is terribly wrong. The men are obviously dancers.The women are...the only ones to show up for the audition? Not a dancer in the bunch - at least not a dancer now. A non-pro company would be proud to have this group as their cast - but one does expect more from TBTS in particular and an Equity-based company in general. Preview or not, this will not get any better.
Nor will the lack of any sense of time and place. 'Chorus Line' takes place in the mid - 1970's (and the program clearly tells us that they've stuck to the original period). This is not a timeless story that can be set in any period, despite the fact that auditions happen everyday and every dancer may or may not have this "I hope I get it" nervousness. The lack of grit and desperation that these potential chorus line dancers display make us think that they didn't really understand the show. Maybe, as we move further away from the '70s, it's harder to recreate that time? Since these kids could not be sent back in time to see live theater from the '70s, More Teeth would have thought theyd do some homework by watching some movies from the period, or television...anything. 'A Chorus Line' coincided with the supposed Golden Era of cinema and Hollywood produced some of its most critically acclaimed films in this decade of financial slump. In spite of the social and economic setting, this became a benchmark decade in the art and business of Cinema. Ok, we've hit a tangent on film when were talking about live theater but it stands to reason that, during this time, with the restrictions being lifted on language and sexuality in film, 'A Chorus Line' was in the perfect place and time to carry that vibe onto Broadway. Which makes it all the more surprising that Director Mitzi Hamilton, who was part of the original "taped sessions" with Michael Bennett from which this story was born could not seem to communicate the abstract feeling of 1975 to her cast. More Teeth happens to be in cahoots with another workshop member of the original piece and his stories of drugs, sex, desperation and reaching for a sweaty, grimy yet glittering dream oozed out of the original. Today, he says, "we were naïve then. Im not doing anything for love anymore, honey."
So, we're missing the dirt here. More Teeth just wanted to throw a bucket of something over the cast and stage and buff away the clean edges. It would have been a simple design gesture to add an exposed pipe through the stage somewhere to give us that empty theater feel...have the dancers audition costumes be less matched, more period than the offhand suggestions we were given to look at. In any other context, we couldn't mention this, but - in the 1970s, super-thin was in - and a dancer would have, at minimum, shown this "ideal." Is it fair to criticize the physique of the majority of these folks? No, not in real life, but to believe that we were looking at a group of (literally) hungry professional dancers with the worked-out, speed-fuelled frame that results, was a leap at best.
Now, if we at More Teeth pick apart this ensemble and separate them from the line, there are indeed nice things to say. All, when asked to stand alone and tell their story, did a solid job. Of note, Jonathan Hoover's Mike has the most entertaining number of the evening with "I Can Do That." And really, the rest of the ensemble, sadly excluding the three principals, were all very good when singing solo. We do not believe that there was one true triple threat in this group, but this show rarely casts anyone beyond a dancer who can sing - a fact best illustrated by Yamil DeJesus' painful performance as Paul. The climactic Paul monologue was painful not because of its emotional content, as intended, but simply painful due to its amateurish delivery. And he was the one we were supposed to care about. Quite frankly, his departure from the stage after a vague, badly acted injury was inconsequential to the remainder of the show except to, perhaps, Zach. Tom Berklund's Zach (unfortunately miscast - he comes across too young, too effeminate) has absolutely no connection whatsoever with his former lover and live-in, Cassie, played by TBTS Producing Artistic Director, Amiee Turner. Berklund shows his dance talent at the top of the show and leaves that behind except to tip his hat a few times toward the close. Despite his credits and union affiliation, from what he shows on the stage at Matunuck, he should be seen and not heard - he is a dancer forced to act in this production, for which we don't blame him, but the casting director.
While we're picking apart the Equity principals, we turn to the icy Amiee Turner as Cassie. More Teeth really wanted to like her because, frankly, she looks the part. But any former romantic connection that Cassie is supposed to have with Zach fails to come through at all. Any connection with anything fails to come through. And Turner's lack of connection to Cassie made it difficult to sit through her long solo dance number, which ironically, was weak. She simply could not sustain a solo of this length and we feel that she was more suited to (you guessed it) the chorus. However, the welcome addition of three extra mirrors flying in at this point on the program were beautiful and captivated us for as long as three extra mirrors have that ability. Turner's weakness could be forgiven if she were not this company's Artistic Director. She has put herself on the spot and the spotlight is literally on her. Did she audition along with a host of other Cassie hopefuls? Or was she hand-picked? By herself? Best not to ask too much...
On a positive note: the costumes for the finale are terrific. The 1930's vibe seems to come through clearer than the '70s. The cast looked beautiful and together. Perhaps this was rehearsed more than other scenes because the show was worth it for the kick line alone. But everyone loves a kick line. The orchestra was tight and enjoyable to listen to and apparently this was only the second time the cast had rehearsed with this orchestra - which is impressive for both the cast and the musical direction in general. Sound issues will no doubt be dealt with as the run progresses, but, despite sporadic shaky mics and muddy mixes, reinforcement was fairly crisp. Kudos also to Lighting Designer Joel Silver for well balanced simplicity and dazzle.
More Teeth wanted to love this show because we love dance shows. Good dancers are so much fun to watch regardless of their acting ability. We can forgive a lack of thespian prowess as long as we see something that the average person cannot do: lift a leg high over a head, spin fast, head whipping around like a top, leap three or four feet off the ground and not make a sound on landing. This is what we wanted to see. Maybe these people are simply not around anymore. Maybe, what we got on this production of 'Chorus Line' was the best of who showed up at the open call and what the producers were willing to pay for.
Everyone knows this show. If you feel you have to see it, More Teeth is sure, based on the lack of enthusiasm for this offering out on the deck, there are plenty of subscribers who would gladly hand over their ticket. It simply is not worth the money. Maybe by opening night the director has tightened up the weak spots - but it is a lot to do in a very short time and we doubt that two days of acting lessons would help anyone. Maybe this cast was just tired that day...or simply inexperienced. But, even if the cast was not, the show *is* tired...and so were we by the end.
We love this place -Theatre by the Sea. But...how about some theater we want to see?
'A Chorus Line' runs at Theatre by the Sea, Matunuck, RI, from June 2nd through June 20th. Tickets available by calling 401-782-TKTS (8587) or online at www.theatrebythesea.com . Ample parking and a great bistro attached. Show up early for food and cocktails and stay late for the cabaret if it's running.