A Chorus Line

[PeggyR]

Every time A Chorus Line has been on tour here in San Francisco, for some reason or other I've never managed to see it; finally rectified that Saturday.

I'm probably the world's smallest Marvin Hamlisch fan, but if you must listen to his music, it helps to have a cast this good. The only disappointment was Cassie. Nikki Snelson is a competent singer/actress, and mostly she danced well enough. But in Cassie's big solo, The Music and the Mirror, her dancing suddenly became tentative, seemingly marked out in spots. No passionate abandon, no desperation, no fear; for me, the dancing part of the number came off as flat instead of an emotional high point.

On the other hand, while the quality of the rest of the cast makes it hard to single anyone out, I have to mention Kevin Santos (Paul) and the extraordinary monolog he delivered, and Natalie Elise Hall's hammy, over-the-top, hilarious Val. But, that leaves out Emily Fletcher's funny and ultimately touching Sheila, or Anthony Wayne's high flying Richie, or the beautifully sung Diana of Gabrielle Ruiz.

[carbro]

I'm probably the world's smallest Marvin Hamlisch fan,

(wishing I could make the smiley smaller)

Thanks for your review, Peggy. A Chorus Line can't very well succeed without a stellar Cassie, can it?