Directed By Richard Attenborough; Screenplay By Arnold Schulman; Starring Michael Blevins, Yamil Borges, Jan Gan Boyd, Sharon Brown, Gregg Burge, Michael Douglas, Cameron English, Tony Fields, Nicole Fosse, Vicki Frederick, Michelle Johnston, Janet Jones, Pam Klinger, Audrey Landers, Terrence Mann, Charles McGowan, Alyson Reed, Justin Ross, Blane Savage, and Matt West.
Based on James Kirkwood, Jr., Nicholas Dante, Marvin Hamlisch, & Edward Kleban's 1975 stage musical of the same name, A Chorus Line is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition. The story focuses on seventeen dancers auditioning for spots in the chorus of a musical. It also provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
Following a successful premiere at The Public Theater, the original production directed, (co-)choreographed, and conceived by Michael Bennett opened on July 25th, 1975 at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. The show immediately took the world by storm, becoming an unprecedented box office and critical hit. A Chorus Line also went on to win 9 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and spawned many successful productions around the world. The Broadway staging achieved a record-breaking fifteen year-long run when it closed on April 28th, 1990 after 6,137 performances.
With all the success it received, a film adaptation was inevitable. Hollywood producers expressed interest in this property even before A Chorus Line debuted on Broadway. Originally, Universal Pictures bought the rights with Michael Bennett hired to direct and produce. Yet, he later left the project over creative differences. Since then, many directors were approached, but turned it down feeling that the original stage musical was not only too beloved, but would not translate well to the screen. In 1982, Universal sold the rights to PolyGram with independent production company Embassy Pictures joining as co-producers the following year. Coming off winning Oscars for Gandhi, Richard Attenborough ended up taking over as director. Now, here we are...
As a movie, it’s really boring. Certain sections of some songs are done as voice overs (which one shouldn’t do in a musical). The characters’ transitions from talking to singing sounds awkward a lot of the time. The orchestrations are very much a product of the 1980s. As an adaptation of one of the greatest stage musicals ever created, this film just misses the mark entirely. Turning A Chorus Line into a movie was never going to be easy given the theatrical nature of the source material. Part of what makes the original stage version work so well is that the story takes place on a theatre stage in real time. It makes you feel like you're a part of the journey the characters take through an honest portrayal of what actors go through in the audition process for a Broadway musical. That aspect is nowhere to be found here.
Both of the new songs are so forgettable. The first of them, ‘Surprise, Surprise,’ just does not fit in with the rest of the score. While the second of them, ‘Let Me Dance for You,’ is well performed by Alyson Reed, it still does not hold a candle to ‘The Music and the Mirror.’ Speaking of which, beefing up the storyline with Zach and Cassie’s previous romantic relationship felt so pointless. It just takes the focus away from everyone else, which is what the musical is supposed to be focusing on. ‘What I Did for Love’ being sung by only Cassie instead of the entire cast was another big mistake.
Richard Attenborough was clearly the wrong director to bring A Chorus Line to the big screen. Watching this made me wish we got to see Michael Bennett’s pitch for the film by having actors audition for a movie adaptation of the musical. It sounded like a very clever idea and would’ve been much more interesting. Although the 2008 documentary, Every Little Step, which followed the casting of the first Broadway revival, did a better job of capturing the feel of the source material. I suggest seeking that out instead.
Rating: 2/5
Based on James Kirkwood, Jr., Nicholas Dante, Marvin Hamlisch, & Edward Kleban's 1975 stage musical of the same name, A Chorus Line is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition. The story focuses on seventeen dancers auditioning for spots in the chorus of a musical. It also provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.
Following a successful premiere at The Public Theater, the original production directed, (co-)choreographed, and conceived by Michael Bennett opened on July 25th, 1975 at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. The show immediately took the world by storm, becoming an unprecedented box office and critical hit. A Chorus Line also went on to win 9 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and spawned many successful productions around the world. The Broadway staging achieved a record-breaking fifteen year-long run when it closed on April 28th, 1990 after 6,137 performances.
With all the success it received, a film adaptation was inevitable. Hollywood producers expressed interest in this property even before A Chorus Line debuted on Broadway. Originally, Universal Pictures bought the rights with Michael Bennett hired to direct and produce. Yet, he later left the project over creative differences. Since then, many directors were approached, but turned it down feeling that the original stage musical was not only too beloved, but would not translate well to the screen. In 1982, Universal sold the rights to PolyGram with independent production company Embassy Pictures joining as co-producers the following year. Coming off winning Oscars for Gandhi, Richard Attenborough ended up taking over as director. Now, here we are...
As a movie, it’s really boring. Certain sections of some songs are done as voice overs (which one shouldn’t do in a musical). The characters’ transitions from talking to singing sounds awkward a lot of the time. The orchestrations are very much a product of the 1980s. As an adaptation of one of the greatest stage musicals ever created, this film just misses the mark entirely. Turning A Chorus Line into a movie was never going to be easy given the theatrical nature of the source material. Part of what makes the original stage version work so well is that the story takes place on a theatre stage in real time. It makes you feel like you're a part of the journey the characters take through an honest portrayal of what actors go through in the audition process for a Broadway musical. That aspect is nowhere to be found here.
Both of the new songs are so forgettable. The first of them, ‘Surprise, Surprise,’ just does not fit in with the rest of the score. While the second of them, ‘Let Me Dance for You,’ is well performed by Alyson Reed, it still does not hold a candle to ‘The Music and the Mirror.’ Speaking of which, beefing up the storyline with Zach and Cassie’s previous romantic relationship felt so pointless. It just takes the focus away from everyone else, which is what the musical is supposed to be focusing on. ‘What I Did for Love’ being sung by only Cassie instead of the entire cast was another big mistake.
Richard Attenborough was clearly the wrong director to bring A Chorus Line to the big screen. Watching this made me wish we got to see Michael Bennett’s pitch for the film by having actors audition for a movie adaptation of the musical. It sounded like a very clever idea and would’ve been much more interesting. Although the 2008 documentary, Every Little Step, which followed the casting of the first Broadway revival, did a better job of capturing the feel of the source material. I suggest seeking that out instead.
Rating: 2/5