A LINE-UP of 17 jittery and brash young dancers trying out for a Broadway theatre show seems almost too basic a premise to hang a whole musical on. Yet A Chorus Line was one of the longest-running Broadway musicals ever and has been made into a film and performed all around the world since it was first performed in 1975.
The plot sees the dancers gradually revealing their back stories to a controlling director, unveiling the hardship and sad stories which led them to be performers. The show shimmies with a 70s energy with performers dressed in shiny leotards and headbands as they tell stories of neglectful parents, broken dreams of being a ballerina and performing in strip clubs to make ends meet.
Each cast member has their moment in the spotlight with some cracking dance and singing performances. The jazz soundtrack is a difficult score to perform but the Apollo Production team were clearly up to the challenge.
While it’s hard to single out individual performers in such a great ensemble, it would be wrong not to highlight the fantastic Hari Johnson who played skinny, vulnerable Paul who opens up about coming out with a spellbinding confidence.
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