A Chorus Line: Technical Rehearsals

In the final week of preparation before previews begin, the company of A Chorus Line move from the rehearsal room to the theatre. In this blog, DMU Journalism student Maykel Valladares reports on how things are shaping up on-stage in technical rehearsals.

We have officially moved out of the rehearsal room and onto the stage. It’s really happening!

Walking into the technical rehearsal was like walking into a mission control room for a rocket launch. Except the mission isn’t to land on the moon, instead it’s to create a show that is out of this world.

Around the auditorium, tables were set up to hold equipment that controlled the different aspects of the show. With headsets on, the crew were giving instructions to finalize lighting, sound, and blocking on the main stage.

I finally got to see the set and it’s different to anything I have ever seen before. It is stripped of all the flamboyance of most theatre sets. It looks similar to what they had in the rehearsal room, just with more stage lighting. You have risers, mirrors, and plenty of space to move around. I felt as if I was actually looking in on an audition and I was transported to a rehearsal space in New York City.

Director Nikolai Foster was very hands-on when it came to the process of the rehearsal. He was walking all over the place, discussing what needed to be done throughout the show. One moment he was in the back of the theatre observing a scene, the next he was up on the stage discussing blocking. Was it the creativity fuelling him to be so quick? Maybe it was the stress and excitement of opening night coming up so soon. Either way, the vision is finally coming to life and everyone is in for a treat.

Seeing all of the collaboration and things that needed to be taken care of before opening night was quite eye opening. It’s not just a straight shot from the rehearsal room to the stage. It takes a village to raise this brainchild. There are so many moving parts that you don’t see when you are watching a performance. I didn’t even get to see all of it while sitting in on the rehearsal! There were people controlling sound in the back and people up on the catwalk high above the stage. Even though I couldn’t see them, I knew someone had to be controlling all of that.

This is why I love musical theatre. It is literal magic being made before your eyes. People are working together to tell a story and they only get one shot to do it. It shows the time and dedication it takes to get it right every time. I am so proud of the cast and crew that have been working non-stop to bring a classic show to Leicester.

This show won’t be on forever. Come on down to Curve and add some great musical theatre to your holiday festivities.

Lead image: The cast of A Chorus Line. Photography by Marc Brenner.