A Chorus Line
I have every song and moment memorized. At this very moment I can sing the show from top to bottom and even attempt the Michael Bennett choreography (the combinations were always a stretch, but hey!) The show touched me in a way that very few have. At this moment I sit in the same walls that created it and the songs pour through my head (and everyone else's apparently: every single employee who has walked by my table has been humming a verse of something from this show.) This is the life I'm living, this is my life both literally and metaphorically! I just wish I could find my gold tuxedo...just kidding! But seriously.
When I was a budding Musical Theatre nerd in the middle of small town Wyoming,
(I'm not kidding...)
the realities of the characters were about as far from mine as humanly possible, except for the fact that we were all chasing our dream. I think that's what drew me into this show instantly was the rawness of these peoples experiences. I, in my typical fashion, began to research and read everything I could about this show from the 70's that was still somehow so fresh and new to everyone, but especially to someone who had only attended Golden Age musicals growing up.
The more I discovered, the more I loved everything about it. A Chorus Line was actually my first introduction to the Public Theater! Imagine, not only was this show the longest running American show in Broadway history, it also pioneered the way modern musicals are created with the workshop format of development. It was also based on actual interviews with the actual cast and their actual lives are what we see on stage and hear in the cast album! This revelation is the one that has stuck with me the most. Nearly all of my favorite shows are the ones that are based on real life and factual stories.
That brings me to tonight. As some of you know I have been very fortunate to work at the Public now for almost 2 years. Tonight on this very special anniversary, I actually get to work in the theater where it premiered! Even better, I get to work on a show that is a direct answer to the Chorus Line legacy; a show that pushes boundaries, dares to be innovative musically and with form, and is based on actual people, Hamilton. Being in this space has always been incredibly inspiring, but especially tonight!
What a legacy this institution has! Even in my short time here, I have seen some phenomenal theater, Good Person of Szechwan (starring the incomparable Taylor Mac),
Here Lies Love (Now touring internationally),
Fun Home (Now on Broadway), and so many others!
Who knows, maybe someday my own works will premier in this hallowed hall known as the Newman Theater at the Public!
All images belong to the New York Shakespeare Festival Company.
