UC's College-Conservatory of Music Presents Broadway Hit 'A Chorus Line'

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s Mainstage Series continues with nine-time Tony award-winning musical,

A Chorus Line

. Directed and choreographed by

Diane Lala

with musical direction from

Roger Grodsky

,

A Chorus Line

runs

Oct. 20

-

30

in CCM’s

Patricia Corbett Theater

.  

Centered around Broadway dancers as they audition for roles in the next smash hit,

A Chorus Line

offers a candid look at the backstage world of musical theatre.  Director and choreographer Diane Lala and musical director Roger Grodsky stay true to the show’s origins by setting it in the 1970s, when

A Chorus Line

was written.

“This show is very special to performers, theatre dancers especially,” says Lala, CCM professor of Musical Theatre. “Everyone wants to know what it feels like to get to that moment in the finale that everyone has been waiting for and sing ‘One’ as the lights pulse and the audience goes crazy. There is nothing better.”

The original director and choreographer of

A Chorus Line

, Michael Bennett, wanted to create a show about so-called Broadway “gypsies” who constantly move from show to show to audition for new productions. Bennett brought some of these migrant performers together to discuss their experiences, both in and out of show business, and recorded the sessions. This dialogue became

A Chorus Line,

with part of the script pulled directly from the recordings. Some of the interviewed performers joined the musical’s original cast to play themselves on Broadway.

“By the end of the show, the audience feels as though they have really gotten to know the dancers and roots for them to succeed,” says Grodsky, CCM professor of Musical Theatre. “The illusion that the audience was watching an actual audition taking place was reinforced in the original production by the orchestra being invisible. This was one of the first shows that completely covered the orchestra pit.”

A Chorus Line

focuses on the experiences and perspectives of musical theatre performers, but Lala says the show has universal appeal for non-performers as well.

“It is really a universal quest, right?” she suggests. “People in 'regular' jobs also are just looking for work, and some are hoping for that next promotion or to be stars in their own profession. This show puts that desire, struggle, hope, success and disappointment out there for the audience to see. I think that is why this is such a powerful show. People feel and can instantly associate with the characters onstage.

“If you are someone with a love for it,” she continues, “everything you go through is worth it to get to stand up there and do what you have trained your whole life for.”

James Kirkwood, Jr.

and

Nicholas Dante

wrote the book for

A Chorus Line

. The music is by

Marvin Hamlisch

, with lyrics by

Edward Kleban

. The show opens on Thursday, Oct. 20 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 30 at the College-Conservatory of Music’s Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now.

Performance Times

•    8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20

•    8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21

•    2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22

•    2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23

•    8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26

•    8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27

•    8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28

•    2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29

•    2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30

Location

Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village

University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets to

A Chorus Line

are $31-35 for general admission, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Customizable subscription packages are also available.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at

ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/chorus-line.html

.

Parking and Directions

Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit

uc.edu/parking

for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit

uc.edu/visitors

. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit

ccm.uc.edu/about/directions

.

____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s