I love 'A Chorus Line'. It's one of my top three favourite musicals. I've seen at least a couple of live productions of it over the years. I knew some of this story behind the creation of the...
I love 'A Chorus Line'. It's one of my top three favourite musicals. I've seen at least a couple of live productions of it over the years.
I knew some of this story behind the creation of the show, but many of these details are new to me.
I didn't realise the director (Michael Bennett) was quite so manipulative! I'd heard that the plot and characters were created through some collaborative workshops involving Broadway dancers, but there's a whole extra level explained here.
It's interesting. One of the main points the narrator makes is how the original dancers who shared their stories were compensated. In the first place, they signed away the rights to their stories for $1 each. I can understand them doing that, just to contribute to the project and help out their fellow creatives. And then, a few years later, when the show was extremely successful, Bennett and his lawyers went out of their way to write new contracts that would reimburse those original dancers beyond that $1. But the lawyers overlooked the issue of profits from future productions - and the narrator seemed a bit angry about that, even though Bennett had done the right thing by his collaborators.
Oh well. It's still a great show. I loved seeing the interviews with various dancers and people involved with the original production.
I was surprised that there was not a single mention of the 1985 movie! I know it's not regarded favourably, but it's not bad... And maybe I'll get it out in the next couple of days and give it another re-watch.
Despite all the Broadway shows and musicals I've seen over the years, I've never actually seen A Chorus Line. I know a few of the songs purely through cultural osmosis due to how iconic they are,...
Despite all the Broadway shows and musicals I've seen over the years, I've never actually seen A Chorus Line. I know a few of the songs purely through cultural osmosis due to how iconic they are, but I've never seen a live production of the show. Not for lack of trying, but simply lack of availability. :(
Is the 1985 movie really worth watching as my first exposure to it, or do you think I should hold off until the Netflix miniseries, or if I get lucky enough to be near a theatre hub during the next revival?
I know nothing about the Netflix miniseries. This video was the first I'd ever heard of it. As for the movie... the reviews all say it's lack-lustre, but I don't agree. In fact, the biggest...
I know nothing about the Netflix miniseries. This video was the first I'd ever heard of it.
As for the movie... the reviews all say it's lack-lustre, but I don't agree. In fact, the biggest complaint I saw in the reviews is something I don't see as a flaw: the director just filmed a stage play, without turning it into a movie. Yes, the movie does feel like someone set up a camera in a theatre and just filmed a stage performance... but I don't see that as a negative.
They swapped out a couple of songs from the stage play and replaced them with new songs, but that's par for the course for most film adaptations of musicals. I'm a bit sad that "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" didn't make it to the screen, but it was a bit explicit for the mainstream audience they were hoping for - and "Surprise" isn't a bad replacement. On the other hand, "Let me Dance For You" is much better than the song it replaced, "The Music and The Mirror".
The only serious problem I have is with how they re-assigned the song 'What I Did For Love', which is supposed to be sung by the whole cast about the sacrifices they made for their careers, but in the movie is sung by one woman as a torch song about a man. It cheapens the song - but I understand why they would do that in a movie, to give it a romantic sub-plot.
Other than that, the performances in the movie are almost uniformly great (Michael Douglas seems out of place), and the show itself is definitely worth watching.
Just to throw in another voice as someone who did a performance of "A Chorus Line" (I played the piano) - I second this, whole heartedly, down to the weakness-is-actually-a-strength bit. It's a...
Just to throw in another voice as someone who did a performance of "A Chorus Line" (I played the piano) - I second this, whole heartedly, down to the weakness-is-actually-a-strength bit. It's a pretty good adaptation and really just feels like a stage performance.
Edit: It's also in my top 3. The number of times I sing Dance 10 Looks 3 or Nothing on a weekly basis is probably higher than it should be (and honestly, I'd probably get more like Dance 2 Looks 3, but a boy can dream)
I mean... yeah. I thought more about this after I posted that comment, and... It's a play about an audition being held on stage in a theatre. And this play about an audition being held on stage in...
It's a pretty good adaptation and really just feels like a stage performance.
I mean... yeah.
I thought more about this after I posted that comment, and...
It's a play about an audition being held on stage in a theatre. And this play about an audition being held on stage in a theatre is performed on a stage in a theatre. Where else is the movie going to be set, but on a stage in a theatre?
The number of times I sing Dance 10 Looks 3 or Nothing on a weekly basis is probably higher than it should be
There was a period when the cassette tape of the movie soundtrack was on very high rotation in my car (until the tape wore out). I'm pretty sure I could still quote most of the lyrics verbatim.
That's exactly what puzzles me when some people talk about how it's not good as a movie; I guess I understand their point, but what else would be done with it? I actually have concerns about a...
It's a play about an audition being held on stage in a theatre. And this play about an audition being held on stage in a theatre is performed on a stage in a theatre. Where else is the movie going to be set, but on a stage in a theatre?
That's exactly what puzzles me when some people talk about how it's not good as a movie; I guess I understand their point, but what else would be done with it? I actually have concerns about a Netflix adaptation, and what they could add / change about it. If it's going to be several episodes... what are those episodes going to be?
After watching The history behind the line, I rewatched a few of my favourite songs from the movie, and I guess that my one complaint might be that there isn't much choreography for some of the songs. In the production we did, there was a lot more dancing for Dance 10 Looks 3, because... it's Dance 10, so the choreographer and dancers went to town. But It's still overall a pretty good production.
In this video I linked here, the narrator says one of the creators described 'A Chorus Line' as the first reality show to make it to stage. Think about the '______ Idol' and '______'s Got Talent'...
If it's going to be several episodes... what are those episodes going to be?
In this video I linked here, the narrator says one of the creators described 'A Chorus Line' as the first reality show to make it to stage. Think about the '______ Idol' and '______'s Got Talent' reality show formats, and compare it to 'A Chorus Line', and you can see the similarities - performers doing an audition and providing their backstories for the director's/audience's benefit.
I know nothing about this alleged Netflix series, but... I wonder if we could see this coming full-circle, with the reality-show-turned-stageplay becoming a fictionalised drama series about the backstories of these auditionees... for a fictional reality show.
Oh God. Please let that not be true. Please let that just be my own horrible nightmarish fantasy.
I guess that my one complaint might be that there isn't much choreography for some of the songs.
Good point. I suppose the director focussed on the singing and acting, over the dancing - which is ironic, seeing as the play is about dancers.
And I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. That's the exact sort of thing that I am scared that Netflix will do. One of the little textual factoids in the video was that the idea of the "triple...
I wonder if we could see this coming full-circle, with the reality-show-turned-stageplay becoming a fictionalised drama series about the backstories of these auditionees... for a fictional reality show.
And I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
That's the exact sort of thing that I am scared that Netflix will do.
the director focussed on the singing and acting, over the dancing
One of the little textual factoids in the video was that the idea of the "triple threat" originated from a Chorus Line, and maybe there hadn't been enough time for people who were triple threats to percolate up to Hollywood?
I just did some research, because I hate speculating without facts. The most recent update I can find about this project is from nearly 3 years ago, in which the showrunner Ryan Murphy says: So,...
That's the exact sort of thing that I am scared that Netflix will do.
I just did some research, because I hate speculating without facts.
The most recent update I can find about this project is from nearly 3 years ago, in which the showrunner Ryan Murphy says:
"My favorite Broadway director of all time, producer, whatever, is Michael Bennett," Murphy told Deadline. "So, it's going to be A Chorus Line with all that wonderful music, but also the idea of how did he make A Chorus Line?"
So, we're lucky that my nightmare isn't coming true!
One of the little textual factoids in the video was that the idea of the "triple threat" originated from a Chorus Line, and maybe there hadn't been enough time for people who were triple threats to percolate up to Hollywood?
Two people I like, respect, and know have good taste, recommending it. Well now I really do have to track a copy down so I can watch it. Thanks! :P Edit: Just checked on Trakt and I can "rent" it...
Two people I like, respect, and know have good taste, recommending it. Well now I really do have to track a copy down so I can watch it. Thanks! :P
Edit: Just checked on Trakt and I can "rent" it on AppleTV for $5, or buy it for $10 on Google Play. But MGM's steaming subscription package on Amazon has it too though, and they have a 7 day free trial. So I'll probably sign up for that just so I can watch it, and then cancel immediately after. :P
He plays the director - the only non-singing non-dancing part. As an actor, he just has to act. He's fine. But, as I said, he still feels out of place.
He plays the director - the only non-singing non-dancing part. As an actor, he just has to act. He's fine. But, as I said, he still feels out of place.
Wow, so I knew that the dancers originally sold their stories for a dollar, and I knew that Bennett had gone back and changed the deal to the benefit of the dancers, but I didn't know that there...
Wow, so I knew that the dancers originally sold their stories for a dollar, and I knew that Bennett had gone back and changed the deal to the benefit of the dancers, but I didn't know that there was any drama about the future productions, or that those were not included.
I also didn't realize that Sheila was based on Kelly Bishop, who played Emily Gilmore on the Gilmore Girls, and that fact also blew my mind a bit.
I love 'A Chorus Line'. It's one of my top three favourite musicals. I've seen at least a couple of live productions of it over the years.
I knew some of this story behind the creation of the show, but many of these details are new to me.
I didn't realise the director (Michael Bennett) was quite so manipulative! I'd heard that the plot and characters were created through some collaborative workshops involving Broadway dancers, but there's a whole extra level explained here.
It's interesting. One of the main points the narrator makes is how the original dancers who shared their stories were compensated. In the first place, they signed away the rights to their stories for $1 each. I can understand them doing that, just to contribute to the project and help out their fellow creatives. And then, a few years later, when the show was extremely successful, Bennett and his lawyers went out of their way to write new contracts that would reimburse those original dancers beyond that $1. But the lawyers overlooked the issue of profits from future productions - and the narrator seemed a bit angry about that, even though Bennett had done the right thing by his collaborators.
Oh well. It's still a great show. I loved seeing the interviews with various dancers and people involved with the original production.
I was surprised that there was not a single mention of the 1985 movie! I know it's not regarded favourably, but it's not bad... And maybe I'll get it out in the next couple of days and give it another re-watch.
Despite all the Broadway shows and musicals I've seen over the years, I've never actually seen A Chorus Line. I know a few of the songs purely through cultural osmosis due to how iconic they are, but I've never seen a live production of the show. Not for lack of trying, but simply lack of availability. :(
Is the 1985 movie really worth watching as my first exposure to it, or do you think I should hold off until the Netflix miniseries, or if I get lucky enough to be near a theatre hub during the next revival?
I know nothing about the Netflix miniseries. This video was the first I'd ever heard of it.
As for the movie... the reviews all say it's lack-lustre, but I don't agree. In fact, the biggest complaint I saw in the reviews is something I don't see as a flaw: the director just filmed a stage play, without turning it into a movie. Yes, the movie does feel like someone set up a camera in a theatre and just filmed a stage performance... but I don't see that as a negative.
They swapped out a couple of songs from the stage play and replaced them with new songs, but that's par for the course for most film adaptations of musicals. I'm a bit sad that "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love" didn't make it to the screen, but it was a bit explicit for the mainstream audience they were hoping for - and "Surprise" isn't a bad replacement. On the other hand, "Let me Dance For You" is much better than the song it replaced, "The Music and The Mirror".
The only serious problem I have is with how they re-assigned the song 'What I Did For Love', which is supposed to be sung by the whole cast about the sacrifices they made for their careers, but in the movie is sung by one woman as a torch song about a man. It cheapens the song - but I understand why they would do that in a movie, to give it a romantic sub-plot.
Other than that, the performances in the movie are almost uniformly great (Michael Douglas seems out of place), and the show itself is definitely worth watching.
Give it a go!
Thanks for the review! I will try to track it down and give it a watch now. :)
Just to throw in another voice as someone who did a performance of "A Chorus Line" (I played the piano) - I second this, whole heartedly, down to the weakness-is-actually-a-strength bit. It's a pretty good adaptation and really just feels like a stage performance.
Edit: It's also in my top 3. The number of times I sing Dance 10 Looks 3 or Nothing on a weekly basis is probably higher than it should be (and honestly, I'd probably get more like Dance 2 Looks 3, but a boy can dream)
cc: @cfabbro
I mean... yeah.
I thought more about this after I posted that comment, and...
It's a play about an audition being held on stage in a theatre. And this play about an audition being held on stage in a theatre is performed on a stage in a theatre. Where else is the movie going to be set, but on a stage in a theatre?
There was a period when the cassette tape of the movie soundtrack was on very high rotation in my car (until the tape wore out). I'm pretty sure I could still quote most of the lyrics verbatim.
That's exactly what puzzles me when some people talk about how it's not good as a movie; I guess I understand their point, but what else would be done with it? I actually have concerns about a Netflix adaptation, and what they could add / change about it. If it's going to be several episodes... what are those episodes going to be?
After watching The history behind the line, I rewatched a few of my favourite songs from the movie, and I guess that my one complaint might be that there isn't much choreography for some of the songs. In the production we did, there was a lot more dancing for Dance 10 Looks 3, because... it's Dance 10, so the choreographer and dancers went to town. But It's still overall a pretty good production.
In this video I linked here, the narrator says one of the creators described 'A Chorus Line' as the first reality show to make it to stage. Think about the '______ Idol' and '______'s Got Talent' reality show formats, and compare it to 'A Chorus Line', and you can see the similarities - performers doing an audition and providing their backstories for the director's/audience's benefit.
I know nothing about this alleged Netflix series, but... I wonder if we could see this coming full-circle, with the reality-show-turned-stageplay becoming a fictionalised drama series about the backstories of these auditionees... for a fictional reality show.
Oh God. Please let that not be true. Please let that just be my own horrible nightmarish fantasy.
Good point. I suppose the director focussed on the singing and acting, over the dancing - which is ironic, seeing as the play is about dancers.
And I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
That's the exact sort of thing that I am scared that Netflix will do.
One of the little textual factoids in the video was that the idea of the "triple threat" originated from a Chorus Line, and maybe there hadn't been enough time for people who were triple threats to percolate up to Hollywood?
I just did some research, because I hate speculating without facts.
The most recent update I can find about this project is from nearly 3 years ago, in which the showrunner Ryan Murphy says:
So, we're lucky that my nightmare isn't coming true!
I noticed that mini-fact. You make a good point.
Two people I like, respect, and know have good taste, recommending it. Well now I really do have to track a copy down so I can watch it. Thanks! :P
Edit: Just checked on Trakt and I can "rent" it on AppleTV for $5, or buy it for $10 on Google Play. But MGM's steaming subscription package on Amazon has it too though, and they have a 7 day free trial. So I'll probably sign up for that just so I can watch it, and then cancel immediately after. :P
Michael Douglas!? I haven't seen it but that feels like a weird casting choice.
He plays the director - the only non-singing non-dancing part. As an actor, he just has to act. He's fine. But, as I said, he still feels out of place.
Wow, so I knew that the dancers originally sold their stories for a dollar, and I knew that Bennett had gone back and changed the deal to the benefit of the dancers, but I didn't know that there was any drama about the future productions, or that those were not included.
I also didn't realize that Sheila was based on Kelly Bishop, who played Emily Gilmore on the Gilmore Girls, and that fact also blew my mind a bit.