There is one thing that I know for sure after seeing A Chorus Line, the American touring production that plays at the Cannon Theatre until November 30^th, 2008, it’s that I am damn glad that I never have to get through a Broadway dance call. The show hinges on seventeen dancers who are competing for eight roles in the chorus of a Broadway show. The director, Zach, lines the seventeen of them up and gets them to give glimpses into their personalities and personal stories of their experiences and relationship to the stage through monologue and song.

The musical was originally conceived by dancers Michon Peacock and Tony Stevens and took the form of several taped workshop sessions with Broadway dancers, including eight who eventually appeared in the original Broadway cast. Michael Bennett was invited to join the group and quickly took over most of the proceedings and became instrumental in turning these workshops into a successful Broadway show. A Chorus Line, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, opened first at the Public Theatre and the run sold out immediately so it moved to the Schubert Theatre on Broadway July 25, 1975. It ran for 6,137 performances, until April 28, 1990 (the longest-running production in Broadway history up to that time), won nine Tony Awards, and had a successful revival on October 5, 2006.

It is clear that this musical was written at a specific time and place about seventeen very specific people who were all products of the time in which they lived and grew up. I found that the musical was significantly dated- and while I am not opposed to historical pieces being revived in the least- I found that director Bob Avian’s choice to not root the show in any specific time created a sort of unclear wishy-washiness. Was I supposed to believe that this musical dramatized the plight and experience of young American performers in New York right now who are the same age as me? Or was I supposed to find it striking how difficult it must have been for young homosexual dancers to feel accepted in the early 1970s or for young women to strike out on their own without husbands or fathers to provide for them? Or was I supposed to make a connection between the experience of these young people and the young people I encounter in my daily life in the theatre? I think I can understand why this musical spoke so strongly to the public in 1975 because, like Rent in 1996, the show had young people speaking to their peers through music in their own language about their own experience. Unlike Rent, however, that speaks so strongly about social issues, A Chorus Line doesn’t seem to have the same power as it used to simply because the characters don’t speak our language. They sound like we imagine our parents may have once when they were our age.

    The show also raised the question for me: what is a triple threat? It requires tremendous skill to be in A Chorus Line. The dancing must not only be perfect, but also infused with the personality traits of each character. The actors must all be able to sing and act with far more skill than the chorus dancers they are portraying. However, is it possible for a dancer to have time to train to be a perfect singer and actor as well? Very few Broadway stars are quite as proficient at dancing as the chorus dancers are, isn’t it unfair for us to expect these dancers to have Broadway star caliber voices and acting talents? I’m not sure I have the answer. I also recently sat in on a rehearsal for the Ross Petty Pantomime Cinderella (playing at the Elgin Theatre November 28, 2008 to January 4, 2009- www.rosspetty.com) and I have a newfound utter respect for the skill of incredible dancers.

The dancing in this production of A Chorus Line is uniformly brilliant and extremely captivating. Most of the singing voices are lovely, but gentle, and don’t have the big, belting capacity that turn songs like “What I Did For Love” and “Nothing” into showstoppers. Gabrielle Ruiz’s Diana lacked the edge that gives her character’s journey throughout the audition an arc that culminates in the glimpse of her vulnerability. However, Robyn Hurder shone as Cassie, both in her dancing and in “The Music and the Mirror,” Hollie Howard was delightful as Maggie and her voice is lovely and pure which suited the character nicely. Clyde Alves gave a whirlwind exhibition of skill in “I Can Do That,” Anthony Wayne had strong characterization as Richie, and Dena DiGiacinto burst with presence and poise as Bebe which drew my eye even when she wasn’t in the spotlight. The star of the show was Kevin Santos as Paul whose monologue (delivered to perfection even though there was a medical emergency in the audience in the middle of it) was the highlight of the whole evening.

I’m not sure that A Chorus Line is indeed “THE BEST MUSICAL. EVER.,” but it was interesting to take seventeen dancers out of the line, to turn the spotlight on them and to see if any one could be called a singular sensation. 

A Chorus Line runs until November 30^th, 2008 at the Cannon Theatre, 244 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario.  For tickets please call 416 872-1212 or visit www.mirvish.com.

It was bittersweet to sit in the Elgin Theatre tonight watching Dancap host the American touring cast of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee after digesting the saddening news about the “reorganization” of the Canadian Stage Company a few days ago. It is a privilege to be able to invite artists from the United States to Toronto and have them perform for us. There is something so charming and communal about this experience of welcoming and being welcomed- of sharing and receiving. Music has the ability to transcend language and culture, and musical theatre can be the light at the end of the tunnel after a long day of February. Under the skilled direction of James Lapine this show is set up to be especially interactive, as several audience members are featured onstage with the actors for a considerable length of the show. Here a sort of collective is created, and it is dynamic and fraught with fun possibilities every night.

On its own William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful show centered on the young contestants of a Spelling Bee, each of whom dreams of being the best, the brightest and placing first. Finn’s music is fun and whimsical, while his lyrics are continually hilarious and compliment the wonderfully kooky characters that populate the stage. It is these characters, with special emphasis on the seven Spelling Bee contestants, that will insure an evening of laughter and joy while utterly endearing themselves, despite their rather eccentric first impressions.

The cast of nine actors were all magnificently well suited to their roles and brought such enthusiasm and child-like energy to the stage. Katie Boren played the exhausted overachiever Marcy Park with the perfect mix of comedy and angst, especially when brilliantly showcasing her plethora of hidden talents (including playing part of the piano for her own song!) as well as her hilariously liberating breakdown. Andrew Keenan-Bolger was utterly charming as tender, earnest Leaf Coneybear, who sees flashes of light and spells words he’s never heard of before. It’s worth the ticket price of the show just to watch Keenan-Bolger swallow several mouthfuls of bubbles moments before having to sing. Justin Keyes’ Chip Tolentino perfectly dramatizes the many perils of being a young teenaged boy keen to be the best and be noticed. His hysterical rendition of “Chip’s Lament” draws the audience into the world of Putnam County in a way that very few musicals are able to accomplish. Dana Steingold shines as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, the little high-strung daughter of two stage dads with a gigantic speech impediment. Steingold is every inch a nine year in this role, her energy is boundless, she has astute sense of comic timing, her smile is utterly enchanting and her rendition of “Woe Is Me (Reprise)” is heart wrenching. Eric Roediger makes his professional debut in this show, but judging by his fantastic performance as William Barfeé you would never believe it. His entire presence is a joy to watch and his Magic Foot dancing is a definite highlight of the show. Vanessa Ray gives a beautiful heartfelt performance as Olive Ostrovsky, the sweet forgotten girl looking for someone to care about her. Her goregous voice and detailed characterization insures that Olive’s innate goodness roots the audience firmly in the story. 

All in all, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is as enchanting a night a theatre as I could ask for, and I am so thrilled that we are able to bring such inspiring, talented young artists to Toronto to perform for us. At the same time, however, I am acutely aware of the masses of musical theatre artists indigenous to Canada who have not been provided with sufficient opportunities to perform in these sorts of musicals on such a grandiose scale (or otherwise) for audiences here in Toronto and across the country. As Canadian citizens, I firmly believe that we should show support to our many talented actors by refusing to sit idly by and watch Producers lacking national artistic vision shut Canadians out of their own theatre community by focusing solely on bringing in theatre from elsewhere. There is no reason that a Toronto production of this show could not be just as fantastic as the performance I witnessed at the Elgin tonight. It is my hope that someday soon, when we welcome the touring players from America, we can proudly show off our Canadian musical theatre productions, and the two will happily co-exist in theatres side by side (by Sondheim).

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs at the Elgin Theatre (189 Yonge Street) until February 10^th, 2008. For tickets visit the Dancap website at www.dancaptickets.com or call 416 872-5555.