The original production of “A Chorus Line” opened in 1975 Off-Broadway at The Public Theater and transferred to The Shubert Theater on Broadway three months later to be nominated for twelve Tony Awards, winning nine and being awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was a groundbreaking musical that was the first Broadway show to be performed without an intermission and have no starring roles. It was created as an ensemble piece. The motivation for no intermission could be that it is a “real time” piece that invites the audience to be present at a two-hour dance audition for a spot in the chorus line, witnessing the emotional stress of each dancer as they also reveal the reasons why they dance. There is no set except the white “line” on the floor downstage and revolving studio mirrors upstage. Costumes consist of dance clothing except for one change for the finale. It was a tremendous success and ran for fifteen years before closing in 1990.

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is currently offering “A Chorus Line” as their summer musical this season. The production is an admirable attempt at reproducing the original, and director and choreographer Luis Villabon has assembled a talented cast. The two vital elements that make this show a successful endeavor are the “suspension of disbelief” for the audience and creating an incredibly strong ensemble. This production falls short in each element. The ensemble needs to be seventeen unique individual characters sharing one soul. That of a dancer. This powerful ensemble needs to teach the audience from the beginning that there should be no applause at the end of a monologue or musical number because it eliminates the suspension of disbelief that you are eavesdropping in on an audition therefore erasing the element of “real time.” There is no applause at an audition. There is also a lack of comradery here between the dancers, and they need to appear more concerned about everyone not just themselves. As each personal story unfolds, they should be just as affected as the audience is. There should be a strong common thread that bonds this group together: and that is desire not desperation.

The cast is composed of competent dancers and singers that do the material justice. Unfortunately, instead of following the groundbreaking formula, this production results in a more traditional style with pauses for the audience to respond. When this happens, flaws in the show’s concept and script become more relevant and the production feels disjointed. Despite all the faults of this production of “A Chorus Line,” it still delivers the memorable music of Marvin Hamlisch by a wonderful sixteen-piece orchestra with conductor and music director Andy Peterson at the helm. The production quality is first rate except for a less than desirable sound system for the performers. Take some time out and enjoy a summer evening on the campus of DeSales University, and revisit or introduce yourself to this award-winning musical.