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| Movie Review: Every Little Step Alternate Title: Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance!
Story: So you think you can
dance, sing and act? You too can join the minions who are longing to
be on Broadway. Director James D. Stern and Adam
Del Deo have recreated that arduous, heartbreaking process
of an audition in a new documentary, about the 2006 remake of Michael
Bennett's brilliant A Chorus Line. There really are not many surprises if you have
seen the play (who hasn't?) But despite the predictability of the plot
the honesty of the timeless story shines through. For those that are
in the dark about this 1974 musical, director and creator Michael Bennett
had an idea for a play. It was based on the audio tapes he made of the
actors as they sat around and talked about themselves during the audition
process. One Singular Sensation, I might add. A Chorus Line has seventeen Broadway
dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored
by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante,
lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was
composed by Marvin Hamlisch. The idea to bring A Chorus Line back
to Broadway in 2006 brings 3000 actors to the audition. The documentary
quickly whittles the cuts down to the fighting few and focus' on several
of the leading contenders. The stories are still compelling and I was
rooting for almost all of them. The film was made that much more interesting
by having many of the original cast either as talking heads or as a
big part of the play's remake. One thing that struck me was the difference between
the actors of 1974 and the actors of 2006. The 1974 actors were much
thinner with less body mass and muscle. I guess everyone is fatter.
To all those struggling to make it on Broadway,
all I can say is keep dreaming the dream. I salute you all. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jn9qQATNRs One Singular Sensation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyZeGOsR9IA Acting: Bob Avian, Michael Bennett, Charlotte d'Amboise,
Ramon Flowers, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Marvin Hamlisch, Megan Larche, Donna
McKechnie, Meredith Patterson, Yuka Takara.
Trivia: Michael Bennett (1943-1987)
dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to join a touring company
of "West Side Story." He won Broadway's Tony Award six times:
as Best Director (Musical), along with collaborator Harold Prince, and
as Best Choreographer, in 1972 for "Follies;" as Best Director
(Musical) and Best Choreographer, along with Bob Avian, in 1976 for
"A Chorus Line:"and as Best Choreographer, in 1974 for "Seesaw;"
and in 1982, along with collaborator Michael Peters, for "Dreamgirls."
As director, co-producer, co-author and co-Choreographer of "A
Chorus Line" the show won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award,
the Tony Award (8), and the Pulitzer Prize. The show ran until April
28, 1990, running for 6,137 performances. He died of Aids-related lymphoma.
Predilection: None
Critters: None
Soundtrack: Marvin Hamlisch' score is simply wonderful,
wonderful. I sang a few of the songs while walking home.
Opening Titles: A juxtaposition between the original
cast of A Chorus Line and the wanna-bes in the revival.
Theater Audience: A handful of us who did not make
the cut.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: I paid attention throughout.
Predictability Level: I did not expect a few of the
dancers to make it through to the final cast.
Tissue Usage: One of the boys made me cry.
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine. You could
also rent Richard Attenborough's 1985 movie of the same name or go to
your regional theater to see A Chorus Line for yourself.
Length: 90 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 7.5
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