A Chorus Line | Curtain up!

De Montfort University Journalism student Maykel Valladares continues her series on our Made at Curve production of A Chorus Line. From first rehearsal to the very first performance to a public audience, in this blog, Maykel describes seeing the show’s Public Dress Rehearsal.

I was invited to a public dress rehearsal on December 2. I didn’t know theatres did this so I was absolutely thrilled.

I wasn’t the only one excited to watch the show. The announcement of the dress rehearsal being open to the public was only made a few hours in advance. Word spread like wildfire and that evening the audience flooded in through the doors of Curve. We were the ones getting a first look at the show.

This would be my first time seeing the show from start to finish. Every week when I would check in on the cast, I would stay for a few hours. The cast would sometimes work on one number for hours at a time. I have seen them rehearse most of the numbers, but I never got to see a finale. I think it was best that I never saw it in advance. Seeing it for the first time along with everyone else was such a treat. The finale is absolutely electrifying, and the spectacular choreography is the cherry on top.

In last week’s entry about the technical rehearsal, I was only able to describe a fraction of what is shown in the actual production. Things were still being fine-tuned as opening night was fast approaching.  Every scene is meticulously laid out and I was there for a small fraction of the technical rehearsal. The public dress rehearsal is what gave me a feel for the actual story because we didn’t have to start and stop every few minutes to fix something.

We have now moved past previews and the reviews are in!

“A gifted company has the chops to do the 1975 New York musical proud, saluting an imperilled industry with an irresistible revival,” says Chris Wiegand, from The Guardian.

“There’s a vibrancy in the choreography (Ellen Kane) that befits the youthful vigour of the characters,” says Chris Omaweng for London Theatre 1, “The attention to detail is impressive – far from an overly competitive atmosphere, the dancers applaud one another’s performances, and yet, the keen ones, the chatty ones, the nervous wrecks (and so on) all stay in character throughout. It’s business as usual at the Curve Theatre, in another blockbuster production of a blockbuster musical.”

In the reviews I have seen, Curve has been applauded for their revival of this production. I loved this production so much that I already have another ticket to watch it again! I just need to see this one last time and you should too! December 31 is the day of their last performance and you won’t want to miss it. After that, we will have to keep our eyes on Curve to see what they do next.

Lead image: Charlotte Scott as Maggie Winslow and the cast of A Chorus Line. Photography by Marc Brenner.