A CHORUS LINE, in its final weekend at Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre in Carmel, is an American musical theatre staple. Written in the 1970’s, the musical tells the story of dancers auditioning for spots on “a chorus line” in a Broadway show. We learn about what brought the characters to dancing – in sequential order from childhood, to puberty, through the end of a dance career. Memorable songs include “One,” “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three,” and my personal favorite, “What I Did For Love.”
Under the direction of Ron Morgan (owner and director of Carmel’s Performer’s Edge Dance Theatre), this cast has created a stunning production of this classic piece. Amongst this (obviously) talented cast, some gave especially great performances:
- Julia Bonnett, Betsy Norton, and Laura Lockwood definitely deliver during “At the Ballet” – revealing stories about their own rocky pasts, but everything was always “beautiful at the ballet.”
- Nathalie Cruz, during “What I Did For Love,” had me smiling from the downbeat. As a performer myself, I’m always touched by a great performance of this song because of the truth in it. We all do what we do because we love it and you cannot regret that.
- And a special shout-out to Anne Beck’s solo dance number, it was electrifying.
The show itself was great visually, but on the night I attended there were obviously some audio issues and a few pitchy performances from cast members – which, no doubt, have most likely been resolved over the run of the show. However, not all dancers are singers and not every singer can dance, so that I am willing to forgive. That being said, I have to give a shout-out to all the dancers in this show – the main cast AND the cut dancers. I have done this choreography (I had to learn it for school!) and I give major props to anyone who can pull that off night after night – because it is really hard!
The show continues in its final weekend at Booth Tarkington Civc Theatre with performances tonight at 7pm and Saturday, September 22nd at 5pm.
A Chorus Line is based on the book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, with music from beloved American composer Marvin Hamlisch, who passed away earlier this month. Theatergoers will enjoy famed hits like “What I Did for Love” and “One.”
The Civic kicks off its 2012-13 season with a classic, A Chorus Line. Residing at The Tarkington in Carmel, the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is the largest community theater in Indiana and one of the 10 largest in the United States. Founded in 1915, the Civic has been a vital part of the city’s cultural landscape and is considered to be the nation’s longest continuously operating community theatre.