Moving as One: All-Filipino Cast Dazzles in Sassy, Swanky Staging of 'A Chorus Line'

(SPOT.ph) For my generation of Broadway-attuned Pinoys who’ve lived most of our lives in the Philippines, the only memory of A Chorus Line we have is the movie from 1985, the one that starred Michael Douglas as director/audition master Zach, and which we most likely caught for the first time via a rented Betamax tape or broadcast over Channel 9. Go ahead and Google what Betamax is, I’ll give you a minute.

Okay, back? Anyway, having seen the musical for the first time onstage recently at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, via Theatre Group Asia’s sleek, swanky new production, I could only say, Boy did we miss out on a lot. Missed out on the riotous Deluca couple’s number “Sing!” where the funny and charming Kristine Urich-Deluca reveals she’s not exactly a fantastic singer (an understatement). Missed out, too, on the real role the musical’s hit song “What I Did For Love” plays in the story (more on this later). But the biggest thing we missed out on, of course, is seeing the now classic play, well, play out live onstage for which it was made.

A Chorus Line, after all, is literally theater audition as play. It’s a peek into the lives of Broadway stage performers, particularly 17 dreamers all vying to be in a chorus line of only eight. Tough competition, yes, but as we meet each one of the players, with each song number a confessional of sorts, the actors answering why they’ve chosen this unstable, unpredictable, financially unrewarding life in theater, we realize these kids (well, they’re mostly kids) are even tougher. They’ve been molded by life's challenges—abuse, familial pressure, cruel acting coaches, claiming their place in unfamiliar territory, adhering to impossible standards of beauty— just the kind of armor they need to compete in the New York stage, a world where only the best and most driven survive.

While you’re still here and reading this, let’s just get it out of the way: if you haven't seen it yet and you have the money, please go and see it. This Manila production of A Chorus Line is a sensation, one of the best musicals staged in the country this year, maybe even in the last decade. It’s possessed of the sass and glamor of New York that still continue to lure kids from all over to try and “make it there.” The Filipino performers from different parts of the world assembled by award-winning director Karla Puno Garcia each bring their unique flavor to their roles, but all somehow form a unified whole. Each one is authentic to their character and to themselves, and no one is unnecessarily co-opting some foreign twang. And the band, oh wow, if you're familiar with the music, will take you back to the 50-year-old musical's 70s sound.

The standout numbers include the joy ride that is “Nothing,” the non-tribute to a terrible acting teacher, and the anthemic “What I Did For Love”—both performed splendidly by Christina Glur as Puerto Rican Diana Morales, flexing great comic timing in the first, and emotional depth in the latter, with the common thread being her crisp, brilliant delivery and powerful voice. The enchanting “At the Ballet” is a love letter from three of the auditioning ladies, dedicated to the ballet classes of their youth, their escape and sources of comfort from when life and people at home got a little too real and complicated. Iya Villanueva as Maggie, born to save her parents’ marriage, is a revelation here.

And then of course there’s Conrad Ricamora as Zach. He commands the entire room with often just his voice—but when he appears from the balcony, from behind you, or from the orchestra, you understand completely why he’s an inspired choice for the role in this production. Not only is he hot property in present day Broadway and happens to be Filipino—he posseses that kind of magnetic appeal the stern, exacting director needs, if only to convince audiences he's someone a mature, resolute woman like dancer Cassie can fall in love with, and someone she'd find hard to get over.

Without an elaborate set and just an empty stage with mirrors, the Chorus Line mise en scène lends itself perfect for soul-baring, which is what really holds this play together. There’s nothing else to focus on but the performers and their back stories, and each confession feels like they’re not only auditioning for Zach but for the evening’s audience as well. It’s this bare bones approach that made the musical groundbreaking for its time, likely influenced by the wave of change happening in American movies of the period when a more raw kind of storytelling was being embraced.

Despite the pared down production and costume design, however, with the entire ensemble only able to change from their sweaty audition clothes into white and gold tuxes come finale, this Chorus Line is one of the most visually dazzling plays you’ll see anywhere. Without the usual sparkly razzle-dazzle, the folks behind the production mine the minimal setting in surprising and sophisticated ways, composing smashing stage vistas by showcasing the dancers’ movements and form against a stark black backdrop, astute lighting design, not to mention the thoughtful push and pull, and rise and fall of mirrors.

One can even say the mirrors are as hardworking and versatile as the actors. They serve to make the ensemble appear double in size when the number calls for it (as in the final song “One”). They stand as symbols. Despite what Zach tells the deeply troubled Paul San Marco, who is hesitant at first to share his history of abuse and talk about his parents being unable to accept his homosexuality, the mirrors seem to say the past is always just there behind us—we can choose to see it as a shadow that never leaves or a source of reflection we can turn to when we need to be reminded why we do what we do.

Which finally brings us to “What I Did For Love,” which in the 1985 movie is rather mistakenly repurposed as a love theme for the romantic past shared by returning performer Cassie and director Zach. What a splendid emotional surprise—at least for us who only knew A Chorus Line from the film—to hear it sang for the purpose it was made, delivered beautifully and with real understanding by Glur who plays Morales. It’s a response to Zach’s question to the performers—and I might be paraphrasing here: ‘What will you do if you wake up tomorrow and unable to dance?’

It’s hard to imagine every phrase of that Marvin Hamlisch song not resonating with every member of the audience. Every member who’s ever considered themselves a creative talent—dancer, singer, writer, director and so on. Anyone who’s ever considered their chosen craft to be their one great love. It's hard to imagine every performer, artist, craftsman in that room not pondering their own answer to Zach's question. And maybe that’s why A Chorus Line continues to resonate with audiences 50 years after it first came out. That question will live on, as well as the message of devotion to one's passion that is at the very core of "What I Did For Love" and A Chorus Line as a whole. They will live on despite the threats of AI, a war upon us, and a very uncertain near future. Because love, as Morales' song says, is never gone.