“A Chorus Line” opens RI’s Theater by The Sea’s summer season

That’s why “A Chorus Line” — a musical with tons of heart but a zero on the Richter scale when it comes to spectacle and brilliance (that is, except for the finale) — is an odd selection to open the season. It is also a particularly challenging one.

When “A Chorus Line” opened on Broadway in 1975, it came armed with a brilliantly complex fusion of Marvin Hamlisch’s exquisite music, Edward Kleban’s confessional lyrics and an abundance of high-energy choreography by Michael Bennett. And for that he won nine Tony Awards and five Drama Desk Awards.

But what merited the Pulitzer Prize and inspired a then-record-breaking 6,137 Broadway performances was James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante’s intimate, incisive and compelling portrayal of the lives of gypsies—these professional dancers who make a living like the faceless ones. , hardworking bodies against the backdrop of a musical’s production numbers. Here, 17 performers survived the first round of a Broadway audition and must now compete for four male and female ensemble positions.

The show is ensemble driven, meaning there is no star power. And most of the action (except for that finale) takes place on a stage with no set and no elaborate costuming or theatrical bells and whistles. And the story is a very personal one, told through the dancers’ individual self-disclosures and solo performances. In the original Broadway book, the show was dedicated to “anyone who has ever danced in a chorus or marched in step … anywhere.” But this show is also addressed to those who had the desire, but never the courage, to present themselves there.

So the question is: Can Theater By the Sea, given its penchant for going big, go small?

That’s what he can do. He can do that.

Director/choreographer Josh Walden successfully ignores the ghosts in the rafters of the old barn theater whispering “go bigger and bolder” and reins in any struggles to do more with less.

The talented cast of young professional performers—some fresh from cruise line stages and college showcases—also show remarkable restraint as their muscle memory begs them to play in the back row. It could even be argued that they showed too much restraint during this premiere production, as most seemed disappointed as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching others take their musical theater moments in the spotlight. It’s one thing not to attract attention; another is not to pay attention.

Fortunately, most of these moments — which give “A Chorus Line” an award — are performed well. Ashley Bice as the tone-deaf Kristine displays great comic timing in “Sing!” Jessica Minter portrays Val’s physical trials and tribulations in “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three,” and Erica Perez-Gotay’s wonderful rendition of “Nothing”—Diana’s poignant testimony about acting class frustration—is one of the production’s highlights. Another is Luciano Castaldo’s poignant take on Paul’s abuse story and Christopher deProphetis’ tender response as Zach, the director conducting the audition.

Cassidy Stoner proves to be the triple threat performer her character Cassie needs to be. She demonstrates these skills during the captivating “The Music and the Mirror”, which is not only an expression of Cassie’s passion for dancing, but also a display of the quality of dance that she is willing to sacrifice to be just another member of the ensemble.

Meag O’Meara takes one for the team as a fill-in for Mike (who was played by Mario Rizzi), the character who provides the first of those musical theater moments in the spotlight. O’Meara is a bit of a deer in the headlights when she performs ‘I Can Do That’ – understandably so given the circumstances – but she blends seamlessly into the ensemble and keeps up with the others during the show’s big finale, ‘One’.

The grand finale is when the musical’s creators and this production’s designers—Kyle Dixon (scenic), Matthew Kilgore (costumes) and Weston Wilkerson (lighting)—finally pull out the stops in terms of spectacle and glitz to present the final result of the pain and sacrifices endured by these dancers. Here musical director Alex Tirrell unleashes Shawn Baptista’s brass trumpet to make this number bigger and bolder than the others. And that’s what owner/producer Bill Hanney lives for, which is quieting those ghosts in the rafters and wowing audiences.

A CHORUS LINE

Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Directed and choreographed by Josh Walden. At Theater By The Sea, 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield. Until June 22. Tickets are $68-$94 (plus tax). 401-782-8587. theatrebythesea.com.

Bob Abelman is an award-winning theater critic who previously wrote for the Austin Chronicle. Connect with him on facebook.