1975. An empty Broadway stage. It’s the final audition stage for a brand new musical and only eight dancers will make the cut. The stage is bare, we can see the inner workings of it all including being able to see the stage-hands as they move the set pieces across the stage.  The first round of cuts take place and seven leave the stage. We are left with our final 17 performers.

This is the musical that revolutionised Broadway when it opened at the Shubert Theatre in 1975 after a number of workshops and an off-Broadway run. With music by the legendary Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, it was a huge hit, winning nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1976.

This touring version is based on the 2021 Curve Leicester production with Adam Cooper and Carly Mercedes Dyer reprising their roles of Zach and Cassie respectively. They are joined by a hugely talented cast who recount the real-life stories of dancers who faced these gruelling auditions, recorded in late night sessions by the creator of the show, Michael Bennett. What I really loved about the show was the delivery of these testimonies; you can feel the weight and the truth of these stories echoing from across the ages.

 The bareness of the stage and to view the inner workings of the theatre eerily reflects how Director, Zach encourages the seventeen performers before him to lay bare their souls. Individuals struggle with what they should tell him, which is hugely amplified by Larry who ‘features’ them by live streaming their nervous faces onto a huge screen behind them. I really enjoyed this aspect; the idea of the chorus line is to ‘not be seen,’ to become one of the dancers and to not stand out or draw the eye. But the chorus line is still made up of individuals; human beings with their own hopes, dreams, egos, fears, their own stories. The use of the camera really helps this to shine through. Even when there is action on the front apron of the stage, Larry shows us the inner workings of the people behind the chorus line.

It goes without saying (in this sort of show) that the dancing is spectacular. When they dance as a whole, the effect is dazzling. Huge kudos to Ellen Kate, the choreographer of the piece. Being sat in the circle allowed me to really appreciate the formations as they stretched into the depth of the stage. The singing too is excellent, as an ensemble and individually, the talent on display is exceptional. I particularly enjoyed ‘At The Ballet’, ethereally delivered by the trio of Sheila, Bebe and Maggie (played by Amy Thornton, Lydia Bannister and Kate Parr respectively), ‘Sing!’ delivered with fantastic comedy and dancing by Kristine and Al (Katie Lee and Joshua Lay), ‘The Music and the Mirror,’ stunningly delivered by Carly Mercedes Dyer is danced and sang to perfection and, ‘What I Did For Love’ in a heartfelt rendition by Diana (Jocasta Almgill) and the Company. Of course, ‘One’ is a triumph, a stunning end to a musical which flies high with dreams, brings us to the depth of human emotions, makes us laugh and cry in equal measures.

I highly commend the production and its well-deserved place in the history of Broadway and musical theatre as a whole. Touring and West End productions are stunning, dramatic affairs with huge sets, beautiful costumes, jaw dropping effects. It’s refreshing to see the ‘bones’ of a production, what makes up the incredible productions we have the pleasure of seeing here in Cardiff; to see the blood, sweat, tears, joy and fear that go into the creation and casting of Musical Theatre’s biggest shows. This show truly is a ‘singular sensation’ and one that cannot be missed.