A CHORUS LINE Touring, until 5th October
Fifty years ago, American choreographer Michael Bennett came up with a great idea for a backstage musical. Rather than going behind the scenes at a Broadway show, why not focus on the auditions? And rather than telling the stories of the leading players, why not focus on the chorus line? Bennett’s concept was inspired. As TV shows like Britain’s Got Talent prove, we all love to eavesdrop on the ruthless culling of the casting process – and unknown wannabes are far more appealing than self-entitled stars. What made A Chorus Line unique was that Bennett based this musical on a series of tape-recorded interviews with jobbing dancers, in which they revealed the hardships and heartaches of their working (and private) lives. Directed by Bennett, with music by Marvin Hamlisch (fresh from his triumph with The Way We Were), A Chorus Line was a colossal hit, winning countless awards and running...
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