Signature Theatre’s “A Chorus Line” is a singular sensation
In the theater world, a performer who is a true triple threat – one with the ability to perform at the highest levels as an actor, singer, and dancer all at the same time – is rare. Luckily, Signature Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature’s Passion and Billy Elliot) and Tony Award-nominated Choreographer Denis Jones (Broadway’s Tootsie, Signature’s Crazy for You) managed to find an entire stage full of these unicorns, gifting the audience with an intimate production of the iconic musical that will leave you feeling as if each of the characters is a personal friend who you desperately want to get the job.
The first thing you are likely to notice about this show is just how good the dancing is. Even for dance-heavy shows, this one has a lot of dancing and the actors need to be able to not just move but sing well at the same time. The ensemble numbers, especially the iconic “One” are perfectly choreographed and performed and individual songs really let the performers shine. In particular, Emily Tyra as Cassie and Trevor Michael Schmidt as Mike somehow manage to perform outrageous feats of dance while singing songs that would make most singers breathless. Michael Bennett’s original choreography for the show is considered so integral to the storytelling that the producers at Signature had to get special permission from Bennett’s estate to reimagine the show with new eyes. They’ve done an admirable job adapting the choreography to work with Signature’s smaller stage while still keeping the look and feel of the original work.
