Metea Valley High School to put on 'A Chorus Line'

"A Chorus Line," considered one of the greatest American musicals ever staged, weaves together the unforgettably personal stories of the original Broadway cast. Following a three-year absence of musicals on the Metea Valley High School stage, "A Chorus Line (High School Edition)" brings back the "thrilling combination" of dancing, singing and acting.

Performances will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, April 21-23, in the Metea Valley High School auditorium, 1801 N. Eola Road in Aurora. Tickets are $15 or $10 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased online at meteatheater.org or at the door beginning at 6 p.m., prior to the performance.

Derived from taped interviews of dancers who shared their life stories, director and choreographer, Michael Bennett, pulled back the curtain on the life of a Broadway performer, and what he discovered became one of the most iconic musicals of all time.

With music from Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, the show turned the spotlight on the dancers on the line. Rather than dressing the stage with expensive sets and relying on a cast of famous stars, Michael Bennett broke the mold for traditional musicals by using a non-traditional documentary-style approach to storytelling.

This "High School Edition" is appropriate for all ages, and although paying homage to the original 1975 production, co-directors Ginger Terlep and Brenda Perez de Tejada have updated sets, choreography and costumes for a fresh look. Audiences will delight in hearing their favorite songs, "What I Did For Love," "Nothing" and "One," and students' dancing prowess will be front and center as they perform tap, ballet and jazz, masterfully choreographed by Perez de Tejada.

"Most importantly, however, is how the production reminds us of our human need for connectedness, love and acceptance, and how trauma and loss affect our relationships and our life choices. Now, more than ever, let us choose love over hate in an attempt to heal what is broken. That is what we are striving to foster among the cast," said Terlep and Perez de Tejada.

"A Chorus Line (High School Edition)" will be performed by a talented array of 45 actors, 15 tech students, and 24 musicians.

Students will run the lights, sound and set from backstage to the booth, after having built and painted the sets. Metea Valley prides itself on its rich musical and theatrical heritage while teaching lifelong lessons to the students about collaboration, hard work and responsibility. "That's what theater is truly all about," said Terlep and Perez de Tejada.

Join this moving journey that is musical theater at its best, stripping away our carefully crafted façades to open us to love, laughter, tears and joy.

For more information, visit meteatheater.org.

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