By Shirley Lorraine –
Recipe for success: Combine a committed and passionate director (Miriam Durrie-Kirsch), a super talented cast and crew, and a multi-award-winning script with score by Marvin Hamlisch and original choreography by Michael Bennett. Add spotlights, outstanding musical direction and a more than generous helping of energy. Voila! There you have Conejo Players’ current production of A Chorus Line.
Now at age 50 (hard to believe!), A Chorus Line is still as vibrant and relative as it has always been. Show business is still as competitive as ever, if not more so. A performer can’t be good at just one thing; they must excel in multiple areas to be noticed and succeed. It’s a tough business.
The story is one that originator Michael Bennett himself lived and breathed – that of a dancer dealing with all the hardships and heartaches that go along with that chosen life. Every audition for a chance to do what is loved is a trial and an exploration of the soul. A dancer’s life. Life in the theater.
A Chorus Line focuses on a group of hopefuls all vying for the opportunity to be a chosen performer. Many get to reveal the challenges they’ve faced which run a full spectrum of life circumstances. After grueling hours of continuous testing, the dancers who have made the cut celebrate the only way they can – with precision, smiles, and uniformity exemplifying the true meaning a being in a chorus line.
The production is a full two hours of non-stop energy. The dancers rarely stop to catch a breath. Skillfully directed action ebbs and flows as characters are introduced, put under the spotlight and allowed to express their fears and desires. The audience becomes invested in each of the stories, the mirrors of life’s struggles.
A dancer’s performance life span is a tenuous and limited one. Certainly, skills and training are critical at the base. Aging plays a part as bodies resist efforts to conform. One injury can fell a dancer’s career in a heartbeat. Beyond skills, how one looks is a factor. A dancer must also be pleasing to the audience.
This production rotates actors in some roles. Performance weeks one and three feature one cast of characters, while weeks two and four give a handful of the cast different roles to play. With a full cast of twenty-seven this rotation gives opportunities for some to take on spotlight roles. Everyone wins. Beautifully done, director Durrie-Kirsch.
There are outstanding voices and beautiful harmonies throughout. The familiar songs are all there, well executed across the board. The cast brings each role to life with humor, sincerity, and skill. The show is selling out quickly. Grab a seat while you can.
A Chorus Line closes on November 30. Tickets available at www.ConejoPlayers.org or 805-495-3715. Performances are on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Saturday November 22 there is a 2:00 matinee. A full program including cast biographies is on the website.
