It may have been 1975 with the birth years of the dancers auditioning for a fictional Broadway musical ranging from 1942 to 1955, but the competition for such chosen roles by these show dancers is as fierce today as it was then. An abundance of talented performers; needed jobs; few openings are available. That hasn’t changed over the years.
Toby’s Dinner Theatre triumphs with its entertaining re-creation of the classic hit musical A Chorus Line, which humanizes these seemingly anonymous dancers. Each brings a story of struggle or dreams, of triumphs or failures, of family support or abandonment.
I was curious to see how Toby’s in-the-round configuration could adapt to a linear production, such as this. Under the imaginative direction of Helen Hayes Award winner Mark Minnick, who has been nominated for two more such awards for his work last year with Something Rotten! and Escape to Margaritaville along with choreographer Vincent Musgrave making his Toby’s choreography debut, the production team met the daunting challenge.
Rather than stringing the auditioning dancers in a single line across the stage as depicted in other productions, the performers are clustered at the stage’s three entrances as well as forming double lines across the stage. It’s very effective.
A Chorus Line features music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante and originally choreographed by Michael Bennett. In doing so, Mr. Minnick helms a tight production on a mostly bare stage that boasts a diverse array of talented dancers, singers and actors that perform some of the best-known songs on Broadway.
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| Paul played by Brian Dauglash |
Songs, such as “I Hope I Get It;” “Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love,” a brilliantly staged production number; “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three;” the gorgeous ballad “What I Did for Love;” and “One,” a singular sensation of a song, highlight the catalog. Honestly, you will have a hard time getting that song out of your head.
The eight-piece orchestra under the musical direction of conductor Ross Scott Rawlings (Nathan Scavilla conducts in other performances) provides sturdy melodic support for the singers and dancers. Lynn Joslin’s superb lighting design vividly amplifies the dramatic sequences with Mark Smedley’s sound design enabling the musical performances and dialogue to be clearly audible.
The original version of A Chorus Line ran for 6,137 performances and is the sixth longest-running Broadway show ever. It spawned numerous touring productions and revivals, captured 12 Tony Award nominations and won 9 of them, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The musical is dance-heavy, and chorographer Musgrave and the performers are clearly up to the task. A variety of precisely arranged moves are deployed making excellent use of the stage. They include lifts and tap dancing among others, which are on display in solo and group numbers.
The quality of the music, dancing and dialogue (largely monologue) makes the show endearing and timeless and explains its enormous popularity. Each of the 17 dancers is called upon to not only flaunt their moves individually and in groups in a strenuous audition but are also asked (um, told) to describe their life’s experiences to the authoritative director and choreographer, Zach (played commandingly by Jeffrey Shankle).
Mr. Shankle mostly sits above one of the theater’s balconies to simulate being in the rear of a theater’s auditorium. Zach’s assistant Larry, played well by Andrew Gordon, is a standout dancer when he joins in group numbers.
Never for once imagining they would be required to reveal their inner secrets, confessions and self-doubts to the director, much less to their fellow competitors, to vie for the limited number of openings (4 boys and 4 girls), the dancers opened their souls with remarkable candor. I mean, how many performers attend an audition and admit they can’t sing? One did here.
"Toby’s Dinner Theatre triumphs with its entertaining re-creation of the classic hit musical A Chorus Line..."
Talking straight ahead to Zach and responding to his questions bellowed from a microphone, these dancers tell their stories amidst a series of musical numbers including a montage. Though some of the soliloquies slow the pace down in spots, they are mostly fun and unique and an integral part of the show.
There are too many to name here, but these are some examples. Don, the married man who worked in a strip club (Brandon Bedore); Connie (Kiana King), a petite older Asian-American who still believes in eternal youth; Greg (Ariel Messeca), an impish Jewish gay man who describes his first experience with a woman; Sheila (Jessica Barraclough), a sassy, aging and sexy dancer who describes her unhappy childhood; and Mark (Angelo Harrington II), the youngest at age 20 who hilariously told his priest he thought he had gonorrhea when instead it was...
Paul (Brian Dauglash) presented one of the more emotional stories. The Puerto Rican tells of his earlier experiences growing up gay and his involvement in a drag act. He was forced to drop out of school, and when his parents learned of his orientation, his relating their reaction was a particularly poignant part of the show. Paul breaks down and Zach goes on stage to comfort him. Mr. Daughlash is exceptional in sharing Paul’s experience.
Then there is Diana (Leela Dawson), also Puerto Rican who delivers the knockout number “Nothing” and later the classic “What I Did for Love.” The latter follows a mishap to Paul, who injured a knee during a tap dance number, and the other dancers on the line experienced the sudden horror that their career could also end in a flash. Few had alternative plans.
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| Cassie played by Lydia Gifford |
Cassie, one of the significant characters in the production, is played convincingly by Lydia Gifford. She and director Zach once had a romantic relationship, and when Zach became more involved with theatre than with her, they split. Zach believes that Cassie, who was once a successful solo dancer, is a feature-caliber performer, not merely a member of the chorus. But Cassie wants to be a part of the chorus and respects all those trying to make it.
Ms. Gifford also elegantly performs a solo dance (“The Music and the Mirror”) as an angled mirror presents images of her dancing smoothly around the stage in a variety of moves donned in a sleek red dress.
Val, a fun character played by Alexis Krey Bedore, does a splendid job as a potty-mouthed dancer who needed plastic surgery to “enhance” her looks to get dancing jobs. Her rendition of “Dance: 10; Looks: Three” is performed admirably.
The ensemble, in the meantime, learn the steps and lyrics to “One,” arguably the most iconic of the show’s numbers. The final eight chosen dancers are announced, and those failing to make the cut exit the stage deflated.
For the show’s finale all the dancers, including those cut, are decked out in glistening gold formal costumes (designed by Kansas City Costumes and coordinated by Janine Sunday) blending as a singular mass, absent individual identity, wonderfully performing the catchy reprise of “One.”
Rounding out the talented cast are in alphabetical order: Dereck Atwater (Frank), Quadry Brown (Richie), Justin Calhoun (Butch), Aria Renee Curameng (Vicki), Emily Flack (Maggie), Nicky Kaider (Mike), Amanda Kaplan Landstrom (Kristine), Ryan Sellers (Al), Adam Shank (Roy), David Singletoen (Bobby), Patricia “Pep” Targete (Bebe), Danielle Tuomey (Trish), and Julia Williams (Judy).
Toby's production of A Chorus Line features a very diverse, attractive and talented bunch of dancers, singers and actors. They powerfully and gracefully glide and swerve in precise movements and none deserve to be cut. But in the end, somebody has to go.
Through this show, which was inspired by a number of stories from actual dancers, we’re taken back almost five decades. Indeed, some of the topics, such as homosexuality and breast implants were groundbreaking back in the day. But truth be told, aside from the costumes, hairstyles, and cultural references of yore, it is all so contemporary and a must-see.
Advisory: The show contains adult themes and language and is not recommended for young children.
Running time. Two hours and 40 minutes with an intermission.
A Chorus Line runs through March 10, 2024, at Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia, 4900 Symphony Woods Rd., Columbia, MD 21044. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 410-730-8311or visiting online.
Photos: Jeri Tidwell Photography
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