I don’t know how many years (decades, actually) it has been since I’ve seen A Chorus Line. I never have seen the Broadway show the film is based on, and some were upset at some of the changes made in this adaptation, and at some point I would like to see the stage show, but this will do for now. Released on Blu-ray 20th Century Fox and MGM put the filmout in a bare-bones edition that only includes the theatrical trailer as a bonus feature. There’s nothing about the history of the production, the adaptation, or Broadway, the actors, anything. That’s a shame, really.
The story is of an audition, as the film opens tryouts are already underway and dancers are getting cut in droves. Interrupting the proceedings is Cassie, somebody from the choreographer’s past. And the person on the stage with the dancers who is cutting the dancers? That’s just the assistant.
Mostly A Chorus Line is a backstory about the various hopefuls. As the cast is cut we are given a peek into their hopes and lives. Actually, there’s little in the way of plot here. Michael Douglas is the head choreographer tasked with assembling a chorus for a Broadway production and his methods of auditioning are unorthodox which unsettles those hoping to make it.
I want to say more, but I don’t want to spoil the outcomes and personal revelations that unfold over the course of the film. I would discuss the special features but there aren’t any. Directed by Richard Attenborough, the film at times feels perfunctory, almost documentary-like. That’s not meant to be a slam against it, but gives the feeling the viewer is almost a filmed version of the stage production.
A Chorus Line is a good show but it is definitely more for fans of the musical genre and more than likely not going to win anybody over that doesn’t already like the format. And the cover image is actually reminiscent of another musical, Chicago, not A Chorus Line. Hey, MGM & 20th Century Fox, why is that?