Back To Index A Chorus Line
 Barnes & Noble One of Broadways most legendary and longest-running shows gets slick wide-screen treatment in A Chorus Line, director Richard Attenboroughs adaptation of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning 1970s musical. The setting: a Broadway theater, where 16 dancers audition for eight spots in the chorus of a new show by a mega-successful director-choreographer (Michael Douglas). Its a single grueling afternoon, and the songs by Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist Richard Kleban delve deep into the hopes, dreams, and fears of these young artists, including an out-of-work former star dancer (Alyson Reed) who happens to be the choreographers ex-lover. Although there are a few token outdoor shots to establish the New York City milieu, A Chorus Line remains firmly indoors and onstage, where the psyches of the aspirants, their desperations and fears of rejection, must somehow project across the footlights. Thats where the musical numbers come in, and its an effective dynamic, with the director sitting in the darkened house, his voice booming through a public-address system like the voice of god. Douglas is perfect here, effortlessly donning the persona of a cruel perfectionist whose audition technique is half psychoanalysis, half psychological torture. It should go without saying that from songs to lyrics to Michel Bennetts choreography, the stage version of A Chorus Line hit its mark. And while transition from stage to screen can often be a tricky proposition, this adaptation manages to capture enough of the shows texture and sentiment to work some magic of its own. Choreographer Jeffrey Hornaday works well with Attenborough to make the dancing thrive on the big screen, and though purists may lament the replacement of a few original songs with new ones, the signature numbers -- from "Tits and Ass" to "What I Did for Love" to the climactic "One" -- retain much of their emotive power. The result is satisfying musical escapism that captures the charm of this quintessential Broadway blockbuster. Gregory Baird Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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