Review of A Chorus Line (1985) by Darrie G — 04 Jun 2011

I must've seen it before but can't remember it so it was refreshing to feel as thought I was watching it for the first time. The dancing is BREATHTAKING, don't watch if you are feeling old or unfit.

The young (18 to about 25) principal cast are the best of the best dancers, quadruple spins, leaps, splits, totally primed dance-bods at their height. What you have here is 16 triple threat performers in one film, the main musical numbers are equal in quality to anything from Old Hollywood (Berkeley/Minnelli).

(Compare 'I can do that' to ,say, 'Make em Laugh!'). Bear in mind that Old Hollywood only really contained 3 triple threat performers (Kelly, Astaire, Garland), this cast is outstanding.

They make the Glee cast look like a bunch of old fogeys whinging on about their 'issues'. Although the characters have stories, (Verbatim theatre is born), they engage you and they are fresh and real, and the vulnerability of their lives as dancers/actors exposed.

Especially in the heart-stopping moment, when during final cut, the front line who have been asked to step forward and assumed they have got through, are told 'thankyou, sorry not this time, bye'.

This film was made post-"Fame' the teleseries but the musical it is based on was pre-Fame (1975) so it feels fresher than Fame, and carries the youthful showbiz optimism that you see in the Old Hollywood tradition (Rooney/Garland).

I really liked Michael Douglas in this, he kind of holds it together as the choreographer/godlike figure. My favourite numbers have to be 'Nothing' and 'Kiss today Goodbye'.