A Chorus Line rehearsals: week one

Step inside the rehearsal room of our Made at Curve Christmas production of A Chorus Line with De Montfort University Journalism student Maykel Valladares. As the team prepares for the musical to hit our stage on Friday 3 December, Maykel will be sharing insights on the rehearsal process, giving you exclusive access to the creation of this smash-hit Broadway musical here at Curve.

Read on to find out what happened on the very first day of rehearsals for the show and how the company is already working together to create something truly extraordinary. 

Going to the theatre makes me feel like I’m getting a small glimpse into another world. Before I know it, the show is over and it’s time to get back to reality. It’s difficult to imagine that anything happens beforehand.  

But did you know that the actors rehearse these shows almost every day in the weeks leading up to these performances? Crazy, isn’t it?

I know you may think “Well of course they do! How else are they going to know what to perform?” But have you ever thought about what really goes on at Curve when it’s not open to the public? I know I rarely did.

I got an exclusive look, starting from day one of rehearsals for Curve’s Christmas production of the Tony award-winning musical, A Chorus Line. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I was in for a treat.

As I walked into the rehearsal room, it was buzzing with anticipation for what was about to begin. According to director Nikolai Foster, this show has been on the backburner for quite some time, he felt that this was the perfect show after such a hard few months due to the pandemic.

“We are being made stronger by the trauma and the anxiety by the sheer terror of what we’ve all been through,” said Foster. “As an organisation, A Chorus Line felt perfect to emerge from the darkest of times.”

Even though theatres have been closed for months, these actors didn’t lose hope, they are ready to rise to the challenge to create something beautiful for the community. Foster encouraged the cast to let their creativity drive them to create something extraordinary.

“I feel really energized,” said Hollie Smith Nelson, a swing in the cast. “I have never had this kind of open, collaborative experience before. It’s so refreshing.”

They used the first rehearsal to do a read-through of the show. No singing, no dancing, no fancy lighting, just a basic layout of how the show will go. How interesting could that be? The actors aren’t kidding when they talk about their excitement for the show. Just reading through the script, they all transformed into their characters. It made me feel like I was watching an actual audition.

Based on what I saw in this first rehearsal, this show will add to the festivities of Christmas time. I can’t wait to continue to check in on this amazing cast on what they will do next.

Main image: The company of A Chorus Line on the first day of rehearsals.