By Shelby Brooks
Broadway’s singular sensation A Chorus Line has opened at Cranbourne Community Theatre as part of CPAC Musical Theatre’s 20th anniversary year.
The Cardinia-based performing arts group hosts a cast of 23 talented actors, showing off their singing, dancing and acting chops in the classic musical.
Directed by Lee Geraghty and co-directed, choreographed and costume designed by Scott Hili, the show finally made it on stage this month after Covid-19 lockdowns forced its postponement last year.
It’s the theatre show for theatre nerds, with A Chorus Line depicting in real time an audition for a Broadway show in the 1970s.
But the show is not all sequins and jazz hands; it has gritty moments and adult humour that can be enjoyed by people who don’t know what a time step is.
The musical was created from interviews with real Broadway dancers and was a hit when it first debuted in 1975.
The show is a reflection of what it is like to be a dancer and the trials and tribulations of a career in the arts which are still relevant today with the young performers of CPAC Musical Theatre.
Until the final cut is made by director Zach (played by Jonno Sebastian), the audience hears quirky stories and life-changing moments from the hopeful dancers and, most importantly, what made them fall in love with performing.
CPAC’s iteration of A Chorus Line had Zach as an omnipresent voice coming from a dark back corner of the auditorium for more than half of the show, only appearing on stage for the first time after a gut-wrenching monologue by young dancer Paul (superbly acted by Luke Crossett), consoling him after sharing how he was shunned by his parents for dancing in drag.
It was a surprise not to have seen him in the number earlier when Cassie (played by Nicole Everett) begged him as her ex-partner and ex-director for a part in the ensemble, accepting she was no longer the star he had dreamed for her to be.
The performance of The Music and the Mirror was beautifully acted and danced by Everett and sung by Georgie Walker as Young Cassie.
Walker’s vocals were some of the strongest in the cast and it would have been brilliant to have seen more of her in the show.
The stage direction in the number was vibrant, with the mirrors moving into dynamic formations throughout, breaking up the more static row they were in for the rest of the show.
Hili’s choreography was both reminiscent of the original production and fresh with new ideas suited for the talents of each performer.
While the show is an ensemble based-musical with no standout stars (the whole cast showed different strengths throughout and will only continue to grow in confidence as the season continues), Michael Zinner (Mike) and Lukas Masterson (Greg) gave a masterclass in dance for the audience, showing off their impressive technique from previous professional experience.
Both set the bar high in the opening number I Hope I Get It, with a fabulous follow up from Zinner in I Can Do That.
It would have been a treat to have heard the cast in taps for the tap number, however staging constraints makes it hard for the dancers to change shoes.
By now it’s well established that with Hili’s name on the bill, the costume design is going to be top notch.
Most of the character’s primary outfits were heavily inspired by the original Broadway production, including Diane’s marone and green long sleeve top with sneakers and Cassie’s red leotard and ballet skirt.
The anticipation for the finale sequence exceeded expectations with a landscape of glitz and sparkle and great choreography again by Hili.
A Chorus Line is running at Cranbourne Community Theatre until Saturday 3 September. Go to trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=780348& for tickets.
