Final notes on ‘A Chorus Line’ in Manila
Unlike the other times when I’d been able to watch a show at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, there was something a bit off with the sound system during a performance of “A Chorus Line” a few nights ago.
As it was, the sound seemed brittle, like only a level or two below a crackle. It was ideal for lead actor Conrad Ricamora’s booming voice as Zach but ill-suited to the singing by the cast. Were the speakers at fault? Maybe it was about the mix. Maybe adding to the echo might have helped.
Whatever the problem was, that faulty sound system magnified the sharps and flats that littered the singing and detracted from what was expected to be a great show.
On the other hand, though, it was “A Chorus Line,” and when you think of that, the first word that comes to mind is dancer. Being a musical, the show requires singing but in this case, also extraordinary dancing.
So, was it the sound system or were the members of the cast chosen for the job not because of their singing prowess but because of their dancing skills?
In the case of the latter, “A Chorus Line” perfectly delivered. The dancing by the predominantly Filipino cast had daring, precision and a youthful abandon that made them mesmerizing to watch.
“A Chorus Line” was born in 1975, a time before stage musicals became spectacles. Back then, you could add a kick of a leg and a flip of a hat to a story and music and have a hit show or even more.
Conceived by the great choreographer Michael Bennet, “A Chorus Line” diverted from the norm by putting the focus not on lead characters but on the boys and girls in the chorus.
Talented? Usually. Dedicated? Definitely. They are artists who seldom have the inborn sparkle of stars. So, like journeymen, they go from audition to audition, show to show.
“A Chorus Line” finds 17 of them in one such instance, vying for a part before the formidable Zach. There on a bare stage with only mirrors, the dancer’s favorite piece of furniture as props, they go through their paces and tell their stories.
And what stories they tell! All sorts of those. Heart-wrenching, funny, unbelievable. But they all share a common denominator, the longing to sing and dance, to be on stage, to have a job, even as part of the background.
Culled from true experiences of members of the chorus, those tales so captivated the public that they gave “A Chorus Line” a record run of 6,137 performances, most of them as the No. 1 show on Broadway for almost 20 years.
There was also no skimping on the awards. Twelve nominations, nine wins at the Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Director for Bennett and Best Music for Marvin Hamlisch. He and lyricist Edward Kleban composed the memorable songs What I Did For Love, The Music and the Mirror and One.
“A Chorus Line” came to Manila with excellent credentials, and at a time when Pinoys are going gaga over theater, the opportunity to watch a Broadway-quality production of this classic is most welcome.
More than this, though, what I find truly remarkable was how the producers, Theater Group Asia, went out of its way with a nationwide open casting call. Everybody with a theater dream had the opportunity to audition.
Of course, very few made the grade, but most important is the fact that doors were opened and might be opened again in the future. The final choices could have used more singing lessons. But who cares when watching them defy gravity with so much joy was so thrilling to watch.
Oh yes. Ricamora did fine. But what I loved was the bare set, the clever use of lighting, just right, never superfluous and those mirrors used as background, divider, time-lapse device and more.
Just one more thing. That red leotard on Cassie was, to me, an awful distraction.
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