The touring cast of "A Chorus Line." Photo by Joan Marcus.

  

A Chorus Line

by Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics by Edward Kleban
book by James Kirkwood Jr.
and Nicholas Dante

Presented by Dallas Summer Musicals

July 7 - 19

at Music Hall at Fair Park
909 First St.
Dallas, TX 75210

$15-$85

8pm Tuesday-Sunday; 2pm Saturday & Sunday

A Chorus Line will always have staunch fans, those who see it for the groundbreaking piece of theater it is; and ardent haters who dislike its unconventional structure and that some of its once-taboo topics, like reconstructive surgery and gay-guy pity, are now laughably dated.

And then there are the admirers, those of us who respect it from a distance and love the songs but have never really felt a close bond. Count this reviewer in that group. Until now, that is, thanks to the triumphant national tour now playing at Fair Park Music Hall, courtesy of Dallas Summer Musicals.

The 2006 Broadway revival, represented with this tour, is directed by Bob Avian and the choreography restaged by Baayork Lee. Perhaps that's the secret of this version's success. These are two people who deeply understand the 1975 work, and go back to its beginnings when Michael Bennett conceived the show based on interviews with Broadway dancers. Avian co-choreographed the original production with Bennett, who conceived and directed the show. Lee was one of its original stars, playing the perky Asian dancer Connie, who fears that her lack of height will always keep her from her dance dreams.

Part of the inherent problem with A Chorus Line—which has music by Marvin Hamlisch, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante and lyrics by Ed Kleban—is that it's about a bunch of artists competing against each other for the spotlight. That means egos, as the actors playing them typically have. And egos don't work in what is essentially an ensemble piece. Sure, there are standout characters, like the cocky Sheila (played by Emily Fletcher in this tour), tits-and-ass gal Val (Mindy Dougherty) and Paul, the unassuming gay man who started performing in drag clubs (Joey Dudding plays this role in Dallas for the first week, and then he's replaced by Bryan Knowlton); but A Chorus Line is about a group of folks from disparate backgrounds who have one thing in common: Their passion for dance.

It's rare to witness a production of this musical that gels so beautifully, all the performers on the same page and none upstaging the others.

As terrific as Dougherty, Dudding and Clyde Alves (as Mike, the "I Can Do That" guy) are, Rebecca Riker (as Diana), Liza B. Domingo (Connie) and Hollie Howard (as Maggie) are equally brilliant—and real—in roles that are significantly less showy. Sheila has always been a questionable character, as in how did someone with that attitude make it so far in the audition process? Fletcher's Sheila is confident and flirty, but you never once doubt her talent and drive.

And then there's Cassie, the dancer who's supposedly too good for a mere chorus line. She's usually a wet-rag of a character, but Robyn Hurder doesn't play her as desperate, and she really shines in the scene in which the director and her former lover, Zach (Michael Gruber, also marvelous), tries to break her down as she dances in a line with some of the male candidates.

Avian has created a palpable sense of community and camaraderie among these Broadway gypsies who give their all for a career that won't last long. It helps that, in this tour, the dancing—individually and in ensemble numbers—is spot-on. (Too bad that, as usual, Fair Park Music Hall had some sound problems on opening night.)

This A Chorus Line lives up to the words that Frank Rich once used, back when he was the New York Times' Broadway critic, to describe the musical. It is "at once a celebration of Broadway mythology and a full exploitation of the stage's indigenous magic."

On a related note, if you haven't seen the documentary about the musical, Every Little Step, playing at the Angelika Film Center, then do. Read Mark Lowry's review of the movie and see a video interview with co-producer Adam Del Deo here; and also see contributor Coy Covington's story/review here. Also, some of the cast members from this tour will appear at Mama's Party, the weekly musical showcase at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, on Monday, July 13. The deets are here.