Losing herself in the moment and her love of the art, it was almost as if she is dancing with her reflection, a figurative personification of her previously successful self.
Clad in a clingy red dress which hugs every curve, she auditions in private for Zach. Now 37 years old, she is not above begging Zach, who turns out is her former lover, for a spot in the chorus. Cassie (Jessica Lee Goldyn who starred in the show on Broadway) is a former dancer who has failed at acting.
In contrast, “The Music and the Mirror” is a dreamy interlude echoed in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in Jonathan Collins’s set. “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three,” sung by Valerie (Stephanie Israelson) is a humorous tribute to the positive impact that medical enhancement of her feminine attributes has had on her career.
The musical is full of energetic showstoppers and you’ll be hard-pressed to choose a favorite. For some, like self-possessed Mike (Eric Greengold) and Sheila (Kelly Sheehan), the poised and svelte veteran of many theatrical productions, disclosure comes easy for others, it is a psychological striptease which peels away the exterior, exposing insecurities and the life experiences that led them to dance. These self-revelatory monologues offer an intoxicating entrée into the hearts and the minds of the young dancers. Perhaps, driven by his own inner demons (and it will turn out that he indeed has some), he wants each dancer’s backstory. And lo and behold, resumes and publicity photos are not enough for Zach. Although we see Zach from time to time, for the most part he’s heard from afar, giving him an omnipotent presence. The chosen ones (and there are only eight spots) must demonstrate that they can perform seamlessly in unison. Against the backdrop of an empty stage, they strut their best moves under the critical eye of the formidable director Zach (James Ludwig). The plot focuses on the 17 hopeful (and desperate) young dancers who survive the first cut. It is no surprise that the show has garnered a plethora of awards: Tonys, Drama Desk Awards, and even the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Featuring music by the incomparable Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kieban, and the book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, ‘A Chorus Line’ is a unique backstage look at a Broadway production. Directed with finesse by Drew Humphrey, the show explores the elusive field of dreams of dancers competing for spots in a theatrical musical. ‘A Chorus Line’– one of Broadway’s longest running extravaganzas-just opened at the John W.