Drury Lane's 'A Chorus Line' a singular sensation indeed

Posted February 06, 2023 4:00 pm

Drury Lane Theatre delivers a stellar revival of the beloved backstage tuner “A Chorus Line.” Courtesy of Brett Beiner

“A Chorus Line” - ★ ★ ★ ★

If you passed by Drury Lane Theatre during last week's opening of “A Chorus Line” and didn't know better, you might have mistaken periodic roars erupting from the venue for basketball fans cheering an NCAA men's final. That's how rapturously the audience greeted Drury Lane's revival of the beloved backstage tuner about dancers auditioning for a spot in a Broadway show.

From the frenzied “I Hope I Get It” opening to the cheeky “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three” to the joyous plea for a second chance that is “The Music and the Mirror,” cheers punctuated the performance. But the most ecstatic response came during the finale, the reprise of “One,” when the dancers shuffled upstage and struck that signature number's distinctive pose.

Drury Lane Theatre's revival of "A Chorus Line," about the lives of dancers auditioning for a Broadway show, runs through March 19 at the Oakbrook Terrace theater. Courtesy of Brett Beiner

The thunderous response was the same kind that accompanies a three-point shot at the buzzer to win the national championship.

It was euphoric. And director Jane Lanier's exuberant production earned the love it received. Not only for the superb performers, which include a number of Drury Lane newcomers, but for the details - the mannerisms, the fleeting interactions between dancers - that Lanier and associate director/choreographer Frank Kliegel introduce. Those details distinguish these dancers, whom we get to know as individuals until the finale, when - sparkling in silver and sporting top hats - they are nearly indistinguishable.

The 1975 musical by composer Marvin Hamlisch, lyricist Edward Kleban and writers James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante has long been a favorite among theatergoers. Conceived and directed by Michael Bennett and co-choreographed by Bennett and Bob Avian, it's based on Broadway dancers' real-life experiences: the reason they pursue dance, their struggle to have a career and what they'll do once that career is over. The audition unfolds on Andrew Boyce's mirror-backed set brilliantly accented by Julie Mack's slick lighting. Presiding over it is Zach (Ryan Watkinson) the formidable, frequently bullying director/choreographer who exists (mostly) as a disembodied voice prodding dancers to share stories about themselves. The revelations are both funny and heartfelt.

Sara Andreas plays Cassie, a onetime rising star on Broadway who returns to audition for the chorus after an unsuccessful stint in Hollywood, in director Jane Lanier's revival of "A Chorus Line" for Drury Lane Theatre. Courtesy of Brett Beiner

The former includes Sam Linda's Mike, who describes tagging along to his sister's dance class in the taptastic “I Can Do That.” Sawyer Smith earned big laughs pantomiming his character Bobby's privileged upbringing, and Caleigh Pan-Kita nearly stole the show as wannabe Rockette Val who shares how cosmetic surgery helped her get hired in the delicious “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three.”

Among the more poignant moments is “At the Ballet,” a wonderful number in which Sheila (a canny Alexandra Palkovic), Bebe (TJ Tapp) and Maggie (Alley Ellis) recall how dancing offered solace from their unhappy childhoods.

Ryan Watkinson, center, plays Zach, the demanding director/choreographer who puts Broadway hopefuls through their paces in "A Chorus Line," running through March 19 at Drury Lane Theatre. Courtesy of Brett Beiner

But the emotional apex comes courtesy of onetime drag performer Paul (Martin Ortiz Tapia), who describes coming to terms with his sexuality in his exquisitely performed monologue. Moments later, in the 11 o'clock number “What I Did for Love,” they confront the reality of a dancer's all-too-brief career.

“The gift was ours to borrow.” Ah, but what an extraordinary gift. And how lucky we are to be able to share it.

Location: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 530-0111, drurylanetheatre.com

Showtimes: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday; 1:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday through March 19

Tickets: $85-$95, dinner-theater packages available

Running time: About 2 hours, 30 minutes, including intermission

Parking: In the adjacent lot

Rating: For teens and older, includes mature subject matter and language

COVID-19 precautions: Masks optional

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