Ever wondered what the audition process for a big Broadway show looks like? Well lace up your LaDucas and grab a ticket to A Chorus Line, because you’re about to find out!
Written by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban, A Chorus Line follows 17 performers vying for a spot on the chorus line, with the show taking us through a single day of auditions and revealing each character’s story through song, dance and monologue.
This latest iteration is a touring version of director Nikolai Foster’s Leicester Curve production which initially debuted Christmas 2021, with Carly Mercedes Dyer and Adam Cooper reprising their roles as Cassie and Nick. This production also began its tour at the Curve and, following a summer residency at London’s Sadler’s Wells theatre, the show is currently in its final week at the Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe.
This is very much an ensemble piece, with each performer and story given their moment to shine, and there are strong performances throughout. But Dyer is an undisputed star, with her solo performance of ‘The Music and the Mirror’ being one of the highlights of the piece.
Jocasta Almgill as Diana Morales is also a standout, delivering stunning vocals through the amusing ‘Nothing’ and the powerful 11 o'clock number ‘What I Did for Love’.
One of the most impactful stories within the piece is also that of Paul San Marcos (played on the date of this review by cover Ashley-Jordon Packer), with his extended monologue about coming to terms with his sexuality within the New York drag scene.
As a show with dancing at its heart, choreography is obviously extremely important, and Bob Avian’s additions to Michael Bennett’s original choreography lead us through a succession of big dance numbers, slick and impressive but still maintaining the feel of an audition room, with dancers often intentionally slightly out of time with one another in the early numbers.
Videography is also used to good effect, with performers filmed live onstage by director’s assistant Larry (played on the date of this review by cover Katrina Dix) and the footage projected onto screens behind them. Although this does create some visibility problems in parts of the auditorium, it is a clever touch and adds a new dimension to the piece.
Although this is very much a show about the industry, it has stories and messages which are universally relevant too, appealing to anyone who has ever had a dream to chase.
A Chorus Line runs at the Wycombe Swan until 5 October. For more information and tickets, follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Marc Brenner
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