Review: ‘A Chorus Line’ at Gallery Players

The Gallery Players’ production of A Chorus Line is delightful! If the first show of this Park Slope theater’s 52nd season is any indication of the upcoming year, we’re in for a treat.

A Chorus Line, under the direction of Gallery Players alum, Tom Rowan is even more relevant today than it’s 1975 award-winning Broadway production. Featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, the cast of 24 illuminates the complex personal lives of some of the most overlooked and under-appreciated characters of the Broadway musical, the chorus dancers.

Similar to a modern televised dance competition format (think So You Think You Can Dance but without the lights and cameras) hundreds of dancers are referred impersonally by number while auditioning for a spot in a new Broadway musical. In A Chorus Line’s candid opening number “I Hope I Get It,” the company yearns in utter desperation for a job while dancing for their lives. The brilliant performance sets the emotional tone for the show, and while stand-out cast members give stellar solo presentations, as an ensemble they are altogether extraordinary.

The diverse group of dancers essentially all want the same thing—a job and a chance to be seen for their talent. Zach (Brian Vestal), an authoritative yet compassionate dance captain seeks only eight of the best dancers. To find the perfect ensemble, he looks beyond the dancers’ athleticism and resumes to find a group of the most vulnerable souls. With Zach absent from the stage for the majority of the show—mostly just hearing his commanding voice—the dancers were able to share their journeys to Broadway intimately with the audience. Monologues featured stories of the dancers’ triumphs, disappointments, sexual awakenings, and complicated family dynamics.

Diana played stunningly by Tara Kostmeyer, led the cast in one of the most beautiful renditions of “What I Did for Love.” The iconic song describes a different type of love; not one of romance, but of love for one’s dreams and the pursuit of them. Kostmeyer’s performance of this song leaves one to believe if she feels in any way personally connected to Diana and the character’s bittersweet journey from the Bronx to Broadway.

Matthew Aaron Liotine plays Greg, and although his speaking role is minor, he gives the emotionally demanding show a bit of comic relief. Everything from his awkward facial expressions juxtaposed with sassy body language as he describes his first experience with a woman—as a gay Jewish man—was animated and gave the show the lightness that it needed.
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Cassie (former lover of Zach), played by Shiloh Goodin, is believable. Cassie’s story isn’t unique. She leaves her successful Broadway career to pursue acting and it fails terribly, leaving her no other choice but to come back to her comfort zone. Goodin’s performance of “The Music and the Mirror” is heartbreaking and transcendent.

The minimal set, designed by William B. Sawyer, gives us an intimate view inside a dance studio and a chance to thoroughly experience the original Broadway production’s immaculate choreography by Michael Bennett. Eddie Guiterrez, this show’s choreographer, studied with several members of Broadway’s original cast and production team. Bennett would be undeniably proud of this production.

The Gallery Players presents A Chorus Line beautifully captures the magic of the award-winning musical and the forgoing is only a summary of what the ultra-talented cast leaves on stage. It truly is “one singular sensation.”

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission.

A Chorus Line plays through September 30, 2018, at Gallery Players – 199 14th St., in Brooklyn, N.Y. For tickets, visit www.galleryplayers.com, or call Ovationtix at (212) 352-3101.