New York City Theater

I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Worley about two months ago, having seen her in DROWSY CHAPERONE the previous night. I can't think of anyone I've ever spoken to with such unparalleled manic energy.

As she entered Don't Tell Mama's backroom, she sat down next to me at one of the tables while Rudetsky did his entrance dance ("Music and the Mirror"). The person next to me mentioned what show he'd be seeing that night, a musical version of "Love's Labour's Lost."

"BOOOOOORING!" Jo Anne not only screams, but sings in soprano chest voice. She later mentioned that she turned down the lead role in the Encores 70 GIRLS 70, also deeming that to be a boring show - which it rather is.

For more details on her visit, check out Rudetsky's weekly column at Playbill.com.

Will there be a lockout? Like five years ago, will nearly all of Broadway shut down due to this conflict between the League of American Theatres and the stagehands union?

Check out this Times Article for a good summary of what's going on.

What's my take on the issue? This is very much unlike the musicians' strike, which was far more emotionally charged. With all due respect to the stagehands union, the League is probably right. The expense for the load-in for most any Broadway show is outrageous and extremely prohibiting financially. But the stagehands union does deserve SOMETHING in return. I don't know what... but something.

Do I think Broadway will shut down? If it did, I don't think that would help anyone... Honestly, I think people cared more about the musicians strike. Why? Because audiences can tell the difference between a 20 and 10-person pit orchestra. Do audiences really care how many stagehands were paid in pre-production?

OKAY...I see theatre like every night of my life. and yet, I haven't seen a single show that's won one of these IT Awards, which supposedly award Off-Off-Broadway. The problem with this (not that there's anything wrong with recognizing the work that goes on there) is that Off-Off-Broadway is a totally amorphous concept.

Does it include Fringe shows? New York Musical Theatre? The other festivals? Small-scale Shakespeare in street corners? Richard Foreman stuff? Performance art?

Off-Off-Broadway, as you're probably aware, is pretty much the lowest of the low in terms of theater economics. Traditionally, Off-Off-Broadway takes place in a 1-99 seat theater, whereas Off-Broadway is in a 100-499 seat theater, and Broadway is 500 seats plus.

Here's the press release:

Off-Off-Broadway honors their own in style when the
IT Awards Announced the 2007 Recipients

New York, NY: On September 24th, 2007, the IT Awards (New York Innovative
Theatre Awards), the organization dedicated to celebrating Off-Off-Broadway,
announced the 2007 award recipients at a spectacular evening hosted by the
captivating Julie Halston. The awards were announced last evening at 7pm in
FIT's Haft Auditorium located in Building C of FIT's campus on 27th Street
(bwt 7/8 aves) to a standing room only crowd.

Outstanding Ensemble

Boo Killebrew, Julia Lowrie Henderson, Ryan Purcell, Max Rosenak, Phillip
Taratula and Daniel Walker Stowell
6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc.

Outstanding Solo Performance

Mike Houston
The Ledge, eavesdrop

Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role

Joe Plummer
As You Like It, poortom Productions

Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role

Boo Killebrew
6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc.

Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role

Max Rosenak
6969, CollaborationTown, A Theatre Company Inc.

Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role

Susan Louise O'Connor
the silent concerto, Packawallop Productions, Inc.

Outstanding Choreography/Movement

Dan Safer
Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment, La MaMa ETC in association with Witness
Relocation

Outstanding Director

Daniel Talbott
Rules of the Universe, Rising Phoenix Repertory



Outstanding Lighting Design

Peter Hoerburger
The Present Perfect, The Operating Theater


Outstanding Costume Design

David Withrow
Bug Boy Blues, The Looking Glass Theatre



Outstanding Set Design

George Allison
Picasso at the Lapin Agile, T. Schreiber Studio

Outstanding Sound Design

Ryan Maeker & Tim Schellenbaum
Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment, La MaMa ETC in association with Witness
Relocation


Outstanding Original Music

Leanne Darling
The Landlord, Toy Box Theatre Company


Outstanding Original Full Length Script

Saviana Stanescu
Waxing West, East Coast Artists


Outstanding Original Short Script

Daniel Reitz
Rules of the Universe, Rising Phoenix Repertory


Outstanding Production of a Performance Art Piece

Dancing Vs the Rat Experiment
La MaMa ETC in association with Witness Relocation


Outstanding Production of a Musical

Urinetown
The Musical, The Gallery Players


Outstanding Production of a Play

Bouffon Glass Menajoree
Ten Directions

I haven't received a press release as of yet confirming this news, but Playbill.com is extremely trustworthy. Here's their story. For more, CLICK HERE.

Lone Star Love, the new musical that is currently playing Seattle's The 5th Avenue Theatre through Sept. 30, has canceled its upcoming Broadway engagement.

After its out-of-town tryout in Seattle, the musical — "inspired by Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor and transplanted to the Wild West shortly after the Civil War" — was scheduled to begin previews at Broadway's Belasco Theatre Nov. 1 and officially open Dec. 3. That run has been canceled, according to an announcement, which also states, "Upcoming plans for the production will be announced when they are available."

The New York run would have marked the Broadway debut of screen actor Randy Quaid in the role of Colonel John Falstaff. The Seattle cast also includes Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde), Dee Hoty (Will Rogers Follies) and Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot) as well as Clarke Thorell (Hairspray), Ramona Keller (Smokey Joe's Café), Drew McVety (Spamalot), Dan Sharkey (The Music Man), Kara Lindsay, Nick Sullivan (Footloose) and Brandon Williams (Off-Broadway run of Lone Star Love).

The ensemble comprises Stacey Harris, Amanda Lea LaVergne, Ryan Murray, Monica Patton, Miguel A. Romero, Chad Seib, Jeremy Benton, Anne Horak, Kristie Dale Sanders and Tony Lawson.

Red Clay Ramblers Chris Frank and Jack Herrick lead an onstage band, which also includes Sam Bardfeld, Gary Bristol, Shannon Ford and Emily Mikesell.

Randy Skinner (42nd Street) directs and choreographs the musical conceived by John L. Haber with a book by Haber and Robert Horn and a score by Red Clay Rambler Jack Herrick. John Rando (Urinetown) serves as creative supervisor for the production.

The design team for Lone Star Love includes Derek McLane (set), Jane Greenwood (costumes), Ken Billington and Paul Miller (lighting), Tom Morse (sound) with Tom Watson (hair/wig). Herrick also serves as musical director with Ken Lundie as associate musical director.

The musical was previously presented by Amas Musical Theatre in a limited Off-Broadway run at the John Houseman Theatre with Michael Bogdanov directing and Skinner choreographing. Jay O. Sanders, who can be seen in the Broadway revival of Pygmalion, starred in the Falstaff role.

Lone Star Love was to be produced on Broadway by Avenue A Productions, Roger Berlind, Robert Boyett Theatricals, Edmund and Eleanor Burke, Rusty and Susan Carter, Jon and Jeanne Cutler, Daisy Theatricals, and Michael Speyer/Bernard Abrams.

Tickets to Lone Star Love, at The 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle, WA, are available by calling (206) 625-1900, (toll free) at (888) 5TH 4TIX or online at 5thavenue.org.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL REVIEW. RATHER, IT'S JUST SOME RANDOM OBSERVATIONS AND MUSINGS.

As it happens, I wish that I could write a full newspaper review of HAIR. I even spotted the press agent at intermission, told him how much I loved the show, and that if I wrote a review, it'd be a rave. In which case, they'd be okay with that, but there was a problem: no press pics. In which case, my thoughts on HAIR will be need to be confined to this blog.

So, how did it work as a concert production? Only a small portion of the Delacorte Stage was used, mostly the front apron. The ten-piece band was placed in a hovel in the back center. The entire cast remained onstage for most of the show, usually sitting to the side during solo songs. There was basically no set. The lighting efforts were effective, but often sloppy. The costumes were great, very colorful 60s wardrobe.

The cast was outstanding, truly. I'm glad Jonathan Groff played Claude, though his wig was a bit too obvious. He brings charm and passion to whatever he does. And I really liked the idea of a connection between HAIR and SPRING AWAKENING, today's popular rock musical. The actors playing Berger and Sheila were fierce, providing awesome performances.

Was there nudity? Like ten seconds at the tail end of Act One - and not everyone got nude. It was pretty much the same thing the Real Theatre Company did in their production of HAIR two weeks ago at Theater Row. If I remember correctly, the Encores! staging had no nudity at all (not surprising, given the average age of their subscribers) and the Actors Fund had an even smaller amount of nudity, added in during the hallucinationatory sequence of Act Two.

The audience, of course, was completely enthusiastic. And why wouldn't it be? Those there either had to pay top dollar ($250-500) for their tix or had to wait only for about seven or eight hours that morning. And at the very end, Oskar Eustis took the stage and introduced original cast members, one of whom was CABARET and PROMISES PROMISES star Jill O'Hara, who was in the original Off-Broadway cast. I could see Eustis during the show having a ball of a time, grinning and stomping his feet like crazy. It may not have been discreet, but he definitely has got enthusiasm.

I am already considering whether I can bag tix for tomorrow night's performance. But more so, I wonder where this concert could lead. To a full production? If no critics are going to write it up, then they don't have the evidence of enthusiastic critics to show off to potential investors. Why not do this as a full production in the park next year. That's probably the best option. With more time, this could be a great production. And for now, it's already compelling musically and absolutely worth seeing.

I enjoyed it so much I even bought a $40 HAIR t-shirt.

This marked my first time at Chatterbox (at Don't Tell Mama) in about five weeks (due to law school, alas). But I'm glad I caught it with Lea Michele, who dished about her life pre-SPRING AWAKENING. Rudetsky's hair, which he has not cut for some four months, is grown out to look in a 1970s vein for his Broadway debut in THE RITZ.

Michele, who grew up in NJ (with a different last name - she's half-Jewish), made it to Broadway only a short while after seeing her first Broadway show, PHANTOM. She joined a friend who was auditioning for Little Cosette in LES MIZ and sang "Angel of Music." She mentioned that Ricky Martin was in the show at the time, and that she was eventually replaced in her role by Andrea McCardle's daughter once she got too old.

Her and Rudetsky reminisced over RAGTIME. She talked about how sad she was when Peter Friedman lost Best Featured Actor in a Musical and RAGTIME lost Best Musical. (He took her to the Tony Awards as his date.) In fact, this caused her to fear that SPRING AWAKENING would lose the Tony to MARY POPPINS.

As the grand finale of her one-hour interview, Rutesky took to the piano and Lea sang "On My Own." You see, she was originallly cast as Eponine in the LES MIZ revival, but jettisoned that once it was announced SPRING AWAKENING would move to Broadway. I can honestly say it was far better than Celia Keenan-Bolger's performance, as well as other replacement actress I've seen in the revival. She mentioned she'd consider playing the role in the revival later on.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS....THAT MUSICAL SHOULD JUST DIE. AND NEVER BE HEARD OF AGAIN.

From the press release:

Jedlicka Performing Arts Center announces the regional premiere of In My
Life, a musical comedy with a twist. Make that a lemon twist. Because this funny,
funky, romantic comedy includes a number of surprises, including giant
lemons, match-making angels, a hero with Tourette syndrome, and God (in a
backwards baseball cap, no less).
It’s not your average musical. But then again, JPAC is not your average
theater.

With In My Life, JPAC has performed another theatrical coup. Though special
arrangement with Oscar-winning composer Joe Brooks, it’s the first theatre to
perform Brook’s work since its Broadway premiere in 2005.
Set in Greenwich Village, In My Life tells the story of a musician with
personal troubles, including Tourette’s. One day he meets a journalist with a
plight of her own (she has obsessive compulsive disorder).

They sing a little,
dance a little, and with some help from above, begin an unlikely romance that
proves life’s greatest affliction is in fact true love.
Joe Brooks is only composer in history to win the Oscar, Golden Globe, and
Grammy award in one year. Among other achievements, he created the scores for
the Oscar-winning films “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” and “Marjoe.”

“This is truly one of the most original, exhilarating productions I’ve
directed,” says Director Dante J. Orfei. “Behind the fantasy and humor lies an
important message: we should celebrate each moment because, as a song says,
life does ‘turn on a dime’.”
Adds producer Joseph Messina, “I’m thrilled to have Mr. Brooks return to
the JPAC. It continues our commitment to bring the freshest, most exciting
works to our audiences.”

Leading the cast as the unlikely lovers are JPAC favorites David Kav as J.T.
and Amy Steele as Jenny. Also featured are Amy Brophy, Madeline Floodstrand,
Bobby Johnson, Wayde Mathews, Barbara L.W. Myers and Anthony Patryn.
Rounding out the ensemble are Dominic Boyte, Harrison Lubel, Lou Maningas, Scott
Sawa, Beniqua Sipla, Kristin Trute, and Afra Williams.
Assisting in this elaborate production are Scenic Designer Michael Nedza,
Musical Director Mark Breta, Choreographer Jennifer Cupani, and Costume Director
Patty Halajian.

The Jedlicka Performing Arts Center is known for its large-scale productions
and highly affordable tickets, which make vibrant theater accessible to all.
JPAC has been hailed as “one of the most aggressive producing theatres
anywhere in the Chicago suburbs” by the Chicago Tribune.

WHERE: Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, 3801 S. Central Ave., Cicero (10
minutes from downtown Chicago, one block north of I-55)

WHEN: October 26 – November 10, 2007

TIMES: Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm
One Sunday matinee: November 4, 3:00pm
Tickets: $15
For tickets or information, call 708-656-1800 or visit www.jpactheatre.com.

WARNING: THIS IS NOT A REVIEW. NONE OF MY COMMENTS REGARDING 'ZORBA' OR 'MAN AND SUPERMAN' ARE A REVIEW. I ADD THIS NOTE BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ASKED BY THE PRESS AGENTS OF EACH SHOW NOT TO REVIEW.

With that out of the way, let me explain. Productions in the Musicals in Mufti series rehearse for about a week, if that; and Project Shaw productions rehearse for maybe a day, I think. Consequently, critics are not officially invited to review. However, we often attend in a non-reviewing capacity.

May I say, just as an audience member, that each of these enterprises - Musicals in Mufti, Project Shaw - are putting on excellent readings with exciting results.

I attended all four Musicals in Mufti productions over the summer (SUPERMAN, I AND ALBERT, THE DAY BEFORE SPRING, BAJOUR), and hope to attend all four this fall (THE BODY BEAUTIFUL, ENTER LAUGHING, THE BAKER'S WIFE), which are dedicated to the work of bookwriter Joseph Stein. This weekend's show, ZORBA, is one that will probably be done by Encores sooner or later. But the York production was outstanding, with Jeff McCarthy providing a vibrant leading performance.

For those unfamiliar with the show, it was first on Broadway in the 60s. Though initially a disappointment, it got revived in the '80s. And as a dark piece of musical theater, it ought to find a more receptive audience in future regional revivals.

I attended ZORBA on Sunday night. On Monday night I went to the Players Club on South Gramarcy for George Bernard Shaw's MAN AND SUPERMAN, which sported a stellar cast: Michael Cerveris, Marc Kudisch, Jackie Hoffman, Kerry Butler, Euan Morton, George S. Irving and more.

The reading, which I was told would start at 7pm, was moved to 7:30 to accommodate Cerveris, who was also appearing tonight in another reading uptown. It finally started a bit before 8pm. Having never attending one of these Shaw readings before, I was really impressed at how packed the place was. Though confined to a small procenium stage with only enough room to stand, let alone move, the cast was quite good.

When Lincoln Center first announced that it would revive SOUTH PACIFIC about a year and a half ago, PIAZZA was still playing. Victoria Clark was still in it, but Kelli O'Hara was not. And some pundits predicted Victoria Clark would be picked to play Nellie. But is she too old for the role? Probably not, since Glen Close did it in the ABC TV film version.

But no, we learned. Lincoln Center wanted a younger, sexier Nellie. Word was out that they wanted a film actress with celeb cashet. Apparently, they wanted Scarlet Johanson, once a possibility for the London revival of SOUND OF MUSIC. But if they wanted young, why not O'Hara?

In March, O'Hara led the Pops at Carnegie Hall in a Broadway tribue event and took the stage with "I'm In Love With a Wonderful Guy." And damn, she was great. Charles Isherwood, who reviewed the event, went as far as saying she was at the top of his Nellie wishlist.

What do I think? I'm very happy O'Hara got the part. I remember interviewing her exactly three years ago when she was in that piece of s**t musical DRACULA, where she was forced to not only sing bad songs, but go nude. But in that same season she scored PIAZZA, where she got her first Tony nom. And then next season, she scored PAJAMA GAME, where she got another Tony nom.

If she makes an outstanding Nellie, which I bet she will, I think she probably will win Best Actress in a Musical.

The cast includes Ato Blankson-Wood (Tribe), Steel Burkhardt (Tribe), Allison Case (Crissy), Lauren Elder (Tribe), Jonathan Groff (Claude), Allison Guinn (Tribe), Anthony Hollock (Tribe), Kaitlin Kiyan (Tribe), Andrew Kober (Father/Margaret Mead),  Megan Lawrence (Mother), Nicole Lewis (White Boys Trio / Tribe), Patina Miller (Dionne), John Moauro (Tribe), Darius Nichols (Hud), Karen Olivo (Sheila), Brandon Pearson (Tribe), Alisan Porter (Black Boys Trio / Tribe), Megan Reinking (Black Boys Trio / Tribe)

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Mara Manus) announced complete casting today for the 40th anniversary concert celebration of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park.  Directed by Diane Paulus (The Donkey Show) with book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, HAIR will play for three-nights-only, September 22-24, at 7:00 PM as part of Joe’s Pub in the Park. 

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SITE WWW.SWEENEYTODDMOVIE.COM

How badly would you like to see LEGALLY BLONDE - are you willing to wear pink?

Check out this ad from Craigslist:

Are you a fan of the hit Broadway Show "Legally Blonde - The Musical"?
Do you love MTV?
Here is your chance to mix BOTH of your favorite things when MTV and "Legally Blonde - The Musical" team up to bring this hit musical to MTV viewers worldwide!

That's Right! MTV is taking over a Broadway Show for ONE night -
and ONE night ONLY! This is an MTV first - and we want YOU to be a part of it!

Be a part of the very VIP audience
on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 when MTV films "Legally Blonde"
(for broadcast later in the month of September)!

This is an awesome opportunity to see one of Broadway's most exciting musicals - FREE!

Requirements
1. You must appear to be between the ages of 15-25. This is an MTV event for broadcast - so the age range will be strictly enforced.
2. You must be able to pick up your complimentary tickets in a midtown Manhattan, NY location on Sunday, September 16 or Monday, September 17.
Once tickets are gone - we will be starting an overflow list and you will be asked to come to the theater the night of to secure your seat.
**NOTE: please - only request tickets if you KNOW that you will use them! We have a limited # of seats - and if you take tickets and do not show up we run the risk of seats being vacant when so many people want them!
GROUPS WELCOME - please see special instructions below to request group tickets!
3. You must wear a PINK SHIRT ... can be a tshirt, sweater, sweatshirt etc... just make sure it is some shade of pink...Yes - guys this means you too! This is a big part of the taping - so please be sure to help us out with this!

To secure your FREE tickets:

Email us at: LegallyblondeonMTV@gmail.com
Provide the following information:
1.Your FULL name AND the FULL name of your additional ticket holder.
2. A phone # where we can reach you at any time of the day.
3. Your age, and the age of your guest.
4. Confirmation that you CAN pick up your tickets on one of the "ticket pickup" days in Manhattan. When you order your free tickets, you will receive a confirmation of your order - and instructions as to WHERE (address) and WHAT TIME FRAME to pick your tickets up!
The "ticket pickup" spot will be a midtown Manhattan location.

**Each person requesting tickets is for YOU plus ONE (two tickets). PLEASE be sure that you can use BOTH tickets - and that the person you are bringing is within the MTV age range!
ALSO - if you KNOW that a lot of your friends are requesting tickets - PLEASE be sure that you do not DUPLICATE REQUESTS! - This is VERY important!

Groups: If you would like to request GROUP TICKETS (meaning that everyone in your group is within in the MTV age range - EXCEPT for pre-approved chaperones if necessary) please put:
REQUEST FOR GROUP in the subject line of the email to us.
We will have a limited # of "chaperone seats" available for groups (groups with students etc...)
One of our staff will contact you and arrange these tickets.
Please give us YOUR information as a contact and the general # of tickets that you would need, etc.
Perfect for junior high, high school, and college drama classes!
** NOTE - these tickets are FREE - and MAY NOT BE SOLD by your organization or group! This will be strictly enforced - no exceptions **

**If you are interested in this - please get your email requests in soon - we do the tickets on a "FIRST COME - FIRST SERVE" basis!

legallyblondeonmtv@gmail.com
Powered by: Classic Entertainment Group, Inc.

FROM TODAY'S PAGE SIX, September 3, 2007 -- TONY-winning "Spring Awakening" has millions of fans, but novelist Jonathan Franzen, author of National Book Award winner "The Corrections," isn't one of them.

Franzen is out next week with a brand-new English translation of Frank Wedekind's scandalous 1891 German play, "Spring Awakening," from which the runaway Broadway hit was adapted. But instead of praising the show, whose popularity no doubt helped land his book deal, Franzen spends a sizable chunk of his introduction ripping Stephen Sater and Duncan Sheik's contemporary version as an "insipid rock musical" that was "instantly overpraised."

He accuses them of "maiming a dangerous play" and taking outrageous liberties in telling the story of the sexual awakening of teenagers in 19th-century Germany.

"The casual rape of Wendla Bergmann by the play's central character, Melchior Gabor, becomes a thunderous spectacle of ecstasy and consent," Franzen writes. "The hand-wringing young Moritz Steifel, whom Wedekind had kill himself over a bad report card, is transformed, in the musical version, into a punk rocker of such talent and charisma that it's unimaginable that a report card could depress him.

"And where Wedekind showed the young sensualist Hansy Rilow resisting masturbation - reluctantly destroying a piece of pornography that threatens to 'eat away' his brain - we in the 21st century are treated to a choreographed orgy of penis-pumping, semen-slinging exultation."

Franzen adds: "The result is funny in the same way that bad sitcoms are 'funny' - viewers emit nervous laughter at every mention of sex and then, hearing themselves laugh, conclude that what they're watching must be hilarious."

The Broadway producers and Sheik declined to comment for Page Six. But an insider at the show ripped into Franzen's blast as flagrantly hypocritical:

"He's simply doing a translation. Why does he then have to criticize our play? He probably wouldn't have even had the opportunity to do the translation if it hadn't been for the great success of the show."

EXCUSE ME, 'SPRING AWAKENING' IS A MUSICAL BASED ON A PLAY. IT IS NOT THE PLAY ITSELF, AND WAS NOT MEANT TO BE. IT IS A DIFFERENT CREATION ENTIRELY.

Went back to CHORUS LINE on Saturday night. In what would seem to be an unofficial confession that its lotto was rigged, the lottery has been removed, replaced with $35 student rush. Using that option, I gained two seats on the extreme side of the front orchestra. Not bad at all, but annoying that I was unable to see Al the entire show. (i.e. Partial viewing of the chorus line.)

Anyhow, I am currently in the midst of undergoing interviews to be a law firm summer associate in summer 2008 (ironically, I was rejected recently by the law firm handling CHORUS LINE, but that's another matter...) Anyhow, the show's plot took on new significance to me as I tried to relate the desires of these mid-1970s dancers yearning to be in a Broadway musical to my own desire to be an associate at a big law firm, competing against thousands of other students like myself.

For just like the dancers, we are put on a chorus line (the law student line, if you will).

In the first scene of CHORUS LINE, the dancers are cut in half. In terms of law school, the law firm recruiters will cut the potential applicants in half, weed out those from inferior schools or without good grades.

Then, the remaining 17 or so dancers are systematically explored and dissected the god-like director, who will decide which 4 boys and 4 girls will be in the chorus of his musical. Or, in terms of law school, there would be a law recruiter who can decide which males and females will be in his summer associate class.

Zach, who rules the Chorus Line world, runs his audition like an interview process, attempting to learn as much as possible about his dancers. In other words, he knows that they all can dance. Any of them can do the steps. What really concerns him is whether he wants to work with these people. As the saying goes, could he wait at the airport with them for twelve hours? That's why he picks the people with great personality (Mike, Bobby, Richie), with confidence (Val) or with total enthusiasm (Cassie, Diana, Judy). Why is Sheila rejected? She's too negative. And the boring people (Maggie, Bebe, Don, Al, Connie) and the nervous one (Kristine). And why did Zach love Paul so much? It wasn't his dancing. It was his honesty.

The same logic goes with the law firm interview. They've screened out those without the grades. The ones getting interviewed are all smart. They want to see whether we're enthusiastic, positive, hard-working, and will fit into their work culture - whether the firm's lawyers will like us.

In "What I Did For Love," the dancers express how in spite of all the emotional and financial struggles, they've chosen this route for love of dance. We, law students, are the total opposite. We're in it for the money. We gave up stuff we like to do for law. So, instead of singing "What I Did for Love," we ponder whether it was worth giving up what we love to do law, seeing how pursuing being a lawyer is full of its own torments and troubles in terms of gaining employment.

In the end of "Chorus Line," the dancers are hand-picked, and in the finale, we watch as the people we've gotten to know for two hours, learning their individualities and personalities, are turned into a bland, cardboard chorus line of anonymity. In terms of law school, the lucky few picked to go to the big firm become summer or first-year associates, the lowest of the caste order. They will not be seen by clients. They will slave away, day and night, at their desks researching and drafting for the partners, who are the stars of the show.

And that's my law school analysis of A CHORUS LINE.