Performance Now’s A Chorus Line features strong dancing at the Lakewood Cultural Center.
Few musicals capture the emotional stakes of being a performer quite like A Chorus Line. Conceived by Michael Bennett and built from taped conversations with real Broadway dancers, the 1975 landmark musical strips away the spectacle to focus on the raw vulnerability of auditioning and the agonizing wait to find out if they’re cast.
That premise remains powerfully resonant in Performance Now Theatre Company’s production at the Lakewood Cultural Center, directed and choreographed by Allison Eversoll. Even for audiences who have never stepped into a dance studio, the anxiety of putting yourself on the line and hoping to be chosen while fearing rejection is universal.
The musical begins with its iconic opening number, “I Hope I Get It,” as a group of hopeful performers execute a grueling dance combination under the watchful eye of director Zach. In this production, Andrew S. Bates brings an appealing authenticity to the role. Bates convincingly portrays someone who once stood where the dancers now stand. His Zach carries the authority of experience while still revealing flashes of empathy, particularly as the story unfolds and his complicated history with Cassie resurfaces.
After the opening combination quickly trims the field of auditioners, the remaining dancers line up across the stage while Zach begins asking them about their lives. The first act consists of a series of personal stories, both tragic and comic, in which each performer explains how they came to pursue a career in the chorus.
Performance Now’s production of A Chorus Line at the Lakewood Cultural Center. Photo by RDG Photography
A demanding dance showcase
If you’re unfamiliar with A Chorus Line‘s structure, the first act may feel episodic. The show jumps between monologues and ensemble numbers rather than following a traditional plot. But that fragmentation is intentional: these dancers are offering glimpses into the personal journeys that led them to the audition room.
The choreography in Performance Now’s production is well-formulated and executed. Eversoll’s staging leans into the athletic demands of Bennett’s original conception, and the cast rises impressively to the challenge. The Lakewood Cultural Center’s deep stage gives performers ample room to execute the intricate group patterns and diagonal formations that define the show’s visual language.
Several performers make particularly strong impressions. Joe Barnard’s Bobby stands out as one of the production’s most technically confident dancers, delivering the character’s sardonic humor with effortless swagger. Krista McDonald brings biting wit and impeccable timing to Sheila, the aging showgirl whose sharp one-liners delivered with icy exactitude provide some of the evening’s biggest laughs.
Krista McDonald plays Shelia in Performance Now’s production of A Chorus Line at Lakewood Cultural Center. Photo by RDG Photography
Kristine Bachicha Hintz’s Cassie, the former star who returns to the chorus after two years without work, delivers some of the production’s most compelling movement. Her dance solo in “The Music and the Mirror” is captivating, showcasing the technical precision and emotional urgency that made Cassie a Broadway standout. While her vocals lack the polish of a traditional musical-theatre belter, that actually aligns well with the character’s identity as a dancer first and foremost.
Elsewhere in the cast, Kellie Fox injects plenty of personality into Val’s comic showstopper “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three,” while Kristen Lester-Miller lends a warm, resonant voice to Maggie during the reflective ensemble number “At the Ballet.” Andy Telesco’s Diana anchors several emotional beats across the show, particularly in the climactic “What I Did for Love,” where her vocals help land the musical’s central message about artistic devotion.
Mostly effective minimalist design
Visually, the production keeps things relatively spare in keeping with the show’s stripped-down aesthetic. Set designer Andrew Bates uses six movable units that function as mirrors on one side and neutral panels on the other. When turned toward the audience, the mirrors effectively reinforce the rehearsal-room atmosphere and heighten the sense that these performers are constantly evaluating themselves.
Cole Emarine’s costumes help distinguish the many personalities onstage, offering subtle visual cues that help audiences track a large ensemble whose characters often receive limited stage time. Lighting designer Emilly Maddox complements the production with clean, focused illumination that highlights the dancers without distracting from the choreography. The music director, Zerek Dodson, ensures that the eight-piece orchestra and vocals sound crisp.
Performance Now’s production of A Chorus Line at the Lakewood Cultural Center. Photo by RDG Photography
One added technical element proves less successful. A camera placed upstage periodically captures the rehearsal and projects the live feed onto a screen above the stage. While initially intriguing, the projection is used sporadically enough that it never develops a clear dramatic purpose. Because A Chorus Line is already built around the intimacy of watching performers reveal themselves directly to the audience, the video element ultimately feels unnecessary.
Technical issues also occasionally intrude. During opening night, several microphone glitches and bursts of feedback disrupted portions of the second act, suggesting sound adjustments may still be needed as the run continues.
The cast of Performance Now’s production of A Chorus Line at Lakewood Cultural Center. Photo by RDG Photography
Still, A Chorus Line ultimately succeeds or fails on the strength of its dancers, and this ensemble delivers where it matters most. The finale brings the full company back in shimmering gold costumes for the famous kick line, offering a burst of classic Broadway spectacle.
More than fifty years after its premiere, A Chorus Line remains a love letter to the working performers who fill out Broadway’s ensemble ranks. Performance Now’s production may have a few rough edges, but its talented cast and energetic choreography capture the musical’s enduring truth: behind every perfectly synchronized line of dancers are individuals who have sacrificed nearly everything for the chance to stand there.
A Colorado-based arts reporter originally from Mineola, Texas, who writes about the changing world of theater and culture, with a focus on the financial realities of art production, emerging forms and arts leadership. He’s the Managing Editor of Bucket List Community Cafe, a contributor to Denver Westword and Estes Valley Voice, resident storyteller for the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and co-host of the OnStage Colorado Podcast. He holds an MBA and an MA in Theatre & Performance Studies from CU Boulder, and his reporting and reviews combine business and artistic expertise.
Leave A Comment