A Chorus Line: notes by Michael Moor    Home    

 Directed by Michael Bennet

Music: Marvin Hamlisch

Lyrics: Edward Kleban

Book: James Kirkwood

Produced by Joseph Papp

Setting: Here and now 'real time'.

Place: The theatre in which you are sitting.

A Chorus Line has the rare distinction of winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama!

A Chorus Line is essentially a devised work. It was born out of workshops and interviews with the community of Broadway 'Gypsies'.

It can be seen as an existentialist work in as much as the characters become what they do.

It is an audition setting and can be seen as a part of the 'back stage genre' like 42nd street.

It considers the human condition through the recollections and aspirations of its characters.

It considers the fragility of life or ones dreams...

It considers the duality of happiness by illustrating how close to tragedy the concept of happiness really is...that one persons happiness is in effect another's tragedy!

....minimal set and costume ... the reliance is on the talents of the performer and in the strength of the music, script and direction! 

A Chorus Line is one of those rare moments when everything has been put together so well, so right, that theatrical 'magic' is clearly evident, it  is a work of enormous complexity that hides behind a premise of simplicity... we can look at Chorus Line as a 'complete performance' and its effect on the audience, when done well is cathartic, uplifting and ultimately disturbing.

It can be seen on all four levels  prescribed by Dante as well as Aristotle's poetics!