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BrumHour saw A Chorus Line at the invite of Birmingham Hippodrome.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, actors Jocasta Almgill and Louie Wood talk about their roles in A Chorus Line. Listen below:
By Dave Massey x.com/BrumHour
Review: A Chorus Line at Birmingham Hippodrome
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”A Stunning stage musical”
Directed by Nikolai Foster, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, lyrics by Edward Kleban
Set in the mid-1970s on a New York City stage, A Chorus Line shows a single afternoon of an audition for Zach’s (Adam Cooper) new Broadway production. Zach is looking for four men and four women to be the chorus and there are seventeen auditionees left after the opening number.
One of my favourite film musicals this tour has been the first time I’ve seen this production on stage and it totally lived up to my expectations.
The stage is simple, with structured lighting becoming the set, and a few benches chairs and props for the characters to rely on. The performers, their stories and their talent are the stars. Larry (Ashley-Jordon Packer) shows off his dancing skills as well as camera work projecting on a huge screen at the rear of the stage. The onstage band only becomes visible during one of the numbers so keep an eye for that moment.
From the opening moments of I Hope I Get It to the closing number One, there is no interval and the action pushes on throughout as we delve into the stories.
Stand-out performances come from Jocasta Almgill as Morales, Manuel Pacific as Paul, Redmand Rance as Mike, plus some scene-stealing action from Katie Lee as tone-deaf Kristine and Archie Durrant as Mark. The main relationship explored in the film is much less important here and Carly Mercedes Dyer as Cassie with Adam Cooper becomes another story, albeit a character-building story.
Theatre lovers and their plus ones will love this strong tale of chasing fame and recognition on the stage but ultimately it is the strong songs and polished dance numbers that people will remember.
A stunning stage musical, A Chorus Line is at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 14th September 2024. Book tickets here: birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/a-chorus-line.
