Hopes, dreams unfold
‘A Chorus Line’ follows Broadway auditions
Few people will ever know the pressures involved with being a Broadway performer. From one audition to the next, they hope to find a job that will pay the bills and reaffirm their commitment to a profession plagued by rejection.
“ A Chorus Line” follows a group of dancers as they audition for eight spots on a Broadway chorus line. They are slowly eliminated through rehearsals, and as each hopeful dancer leaves the stage, the audience gets a better insight into the remaining dancer’s lives.
The audience learns of their lives, hopes and dreams of becoming stars.
At the center of the show is Zach (Matthew Thibedeau), the director of the production, who chooses the fates of the two-dozen dancers at the audition. His strictness supersedes young dancers’ dreams; he just wants the performance to turn out.
Just to complicate matters a little more, one of the hopefuls at the audition is Cassie (Kim Watts), Zach’s ex-lover.
Cassie is hoping to make a comeback in the show. However, Zach pushes her buttons due to hidden resentments that have carried over from their breakup. Cassie will put up with whatever Zach dishes out to her because she needs the work.
This year’s performance is very different compared to other years in that the cast consists of students from NDSU, MSUM and Concordia College.
“ It’s great working with this many people from the tri-colleges,” Kim Sava (Diana) said. “We get a chance to know each other really well and meet new people.”
However, it is not only the student performers who make the show interesting, but the two guest artists who have joined the LCT team make the performance even more memorable, choreographer Patrick Kasper and professional equity/SAG actor, dancer and singer, Matthew Thibedeau.
Thibedeau is originally from the Fargo-Moorhead area. He performed with the Gaspers at the Carousel dance studio as well as with Trollwood Performing Arts many years ago. He went to Los Angeles and became a big hit in the performing business by picking up roles in soap operas, movies and musical theater tours.
“ The company that we have pulled together for this show is amazing,” assistant professor and dirctor Pamela Chabora said. “The true triple-threat dancing, singing and acting is stunning.”
The show has been a real challenge for everyone involved. Since the shows involves intricate dance sequences and many large group scenes, the cast of “A Chorus Line” had many rehearsals to make sure this is the best show yet.
“ Everyone is really stressed out and really tired,” Watts said, “but everyone is still really excited for the performance.”