PopSyndicate.com

Let’s conduct a little trivia quiz. What show was seen on Broadway for 6,137 performances from May 21st, 1975 until April 28th, 1990? Here’s a “singular” clue – the show won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, nine Tony Awards and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. If you yelled out, “I Can do That” – then you go to the front of the line. A Chorus Line that is.

Every Little Step is a story within a story – a documentary depicting the 2006 Broadway revival of the beloved musical. Besides behind-the-scene footage of the audition process, rehearsals and performances of both the original 1975 production and revival, the film includes some of the reel-to-reel audiotapes made at early workshop sessions. Those tapes became the basis for the show.
The original Broadway production, directed by Michael Bennett was by all measure an unparalleled sensation. The premise was a simple one - with less then two dozen main characters, set on a stage bereft of fancy props, performers auditioned while chronicling the circumstances that led to their resolution to dance.

Every Little Step takes us on a parallel journey. When the gypsies (term given to highly skilled dancers who travel from musical to musical and chorus to chorus performing anonymously behind the “stars”) first gathered in an empty exercise center in Manhattan in January of 1974, none could imagine the outcome of their taped conversations. No one except for Michael Bennett, the acclaimed choreographer, that is. He envisioned a show based on their stories, a tribute to those who seldom won recognition for their dedication and talent.

From an old reel-to-reel Magnavox player, we hear his words, “I want to talk about us.” From there, the verbiage is juxtaposed with original performances, followed by the audition process of the revival. Feeling a bit like a voyeur, we sit in on the process of discovering the new Cassie and the next Val. Like a time machine, we bounce back and forth between performances from the 70’s and today’s hopefuls who vie for the very same roles.

As with any audition process, there are some splendid moments, especially the young man who tries out for the role of Paul. He hits all the right notes and brings the casting crew to tears. But along with high-notes comes heartbreak as well. The competition is fierce and for every dancer selected, 150 go home. 

Producers and directors James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo were afforded unprecedented access to audio tapes and the new A Chorus Line audition process. They made dynamic use of archival material, deftly weaving the old footage and audio tapes with the new. Especially poignant is a grainy snippet of the grande dame of the original A Chorus Line production - Donna McKechnie.

If you liked A Chorus Line, you’re gonna love Every Little Step. Don’t be surprised to find yourself singing along. Just try not to dance in the aisles.

A Chorus Line Factoids:
* The original show was seen by more than six million people on Broadway.
* A Chorus Line has reached countless more across the world through companies across America and in England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Foreign-language   versions captivated audiences in France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Singapore, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong.
* On September 29th, 1983, A Chorus Line surpassed Grease with its 3389th performance and became the longest running show in Broadway history.
* The revival opened on October 5th, 2006 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. It recouped its entire $8 million investment after only 19 weeks.
* The revival has broken the house record for weekly gross at the Schoenfeld seven times since its opening.
* To this day, A Chorus Line remains the longest running American musical in Broadway history.

You can find my interview with director/producer Adam Del Deo on PopSyndicate at:
http://www.popsyndicate.com/site/story/dancing_with_del_deo

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