Cappies Review: 'A Chorus Line: High School Edition' At GMHS

By Ceili Canning of Wakefield High School

From high energy dance numbers and excitement surrounding auditions, to the reminders of rejection and heartbreak; A Chorus Line has it all! George Mason High School's production of A Chorus Line: High School Edition perfectly captured the stories of seventeen dancers striving to get a spot in the chorus line.

A Chorus Line is a musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante. The production closely follows the story of seventeen dancers auditioning to be in the chorus line. In its original run on Broadway in 1975, the show received twelve Tony Award nominations, and won nine including Best Musical. The production also won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A Chorus Line held the record for the longest running Broadway show until being unseated by Cats in 1997.

Each number in this production seemed to be more difficult than the last, with challenging choreography and extreme synchrony needed. The entire ensemble that made up this production took on these dances with ease, and their immense preparation was evident. In particular, Krissy Hornbuckle (Cassie), who was notified she would be going on as the understudy the morning of the show, drew eyes as she expertly took the stage in "The Music and the Mirror." Hornbuckle's every move was backed with great intensity and emotion, paired excellently with the longing clearly in her vocals throughout the song. Another standout dancer in the production was Jack Lindly (Mike). Lindly brought a youthful energy to the stage as he sang "I Can Do That." His exquisite toe touches and turns perfectly showcased the joy his character had for dancing.

A vocal standout in the production was Emily Ives (Maggie). Ives had featured vocal moments in many songs, including "At the Ballet." Her intonation and vocal control was stellar, and she brought a lot of strength to each song. Ives continuously held difficult harmonies in each song, seemingly doing so with ease.

Avery Collins (Zach) kept the show going as his commanding voice rang from the back of the theatre. Although for the majority of the production, Collins was not on stage and was instead stationed in the back of the auditorium, he was always in character if the audience were to look back at him. This takes extreme dedication and professionalism as he maintained his character through the entire production. Another actor who drew attention was Drew Miller (Paul) who delivered a heart-wrenching monologue of how he got into the business. Miller's monologue seemed to remove all the air from the theatre as he masterfully delivered his monologue filled with raw emotion and audible tears.

The iconic minimal set used for A Chorus Line consists of a set of mirrors lining the back of the stage. Dan Kramer, Callie Russell, Nina Rifkin, and Ana Karin Iturralde brilliantly dulled out the mirrors so the light would not be blindingly reflective for the audience, but managed to still be reflective enough to serve its purpose as a mirror. This design allowed the audience to be fully transported to the audition room.

The costumes designed by Elizabeth Hoofnagle, Savvy Smith, and Gayle Lobaton did an excellent job of enhancing each character's individual personality, while also making them realistic to what you may see dancers wearing in an audition.

George Mason High School's production of A Chorus Line excellently brought each of the seventeen individual stories to life, reminding us of the heartbreak and excitement that comes with auditioning.