Comments on: Soundtrack Saturday: “A Chorus Line: The Movie” http://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/ your daily dose of pop culture Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:45:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Darrenhttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-80502 Darren Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:06:00 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-80502 I have a book somewhere that details the audition process for the movie version of A Chorus Line. It gives each actor's personal story and then Richard Attenborough makes his own comments about each of them. Apparently, he fought hard to get Alyson Reed into the film as Cassie. The producers had someone else in mind. Also, the character of Val was exceedingly difficult to cast. They saw a lot of actresses. When Audrey Landers came in to audition, they were all blown away by her rendition of Dance: Ten, Looks: Three. She had the vaudeville-esque quality that they were looking for. I believe that she is one of the best parts of the film. She absolutely nailed the number. Attenborough said she worked extremely hard to keep up with some of the best dancers in the country at the time. She can dance but not like the rest of them. She is omitted from some of the more difficult routines but looks great alongside the rest of the cast in the rehearsal for One. I worked in a movie theatre as an usher when this film came out. I must have seen it over a hundred times! I have a book somewhere that details the audition process for the movie version of A Chorus Line. It gives each actor’s personal story and then Richard Attenborough makes his own comments about each of them. Apparently, he fought hard to get Alyson Reed into the film as Cassie. The producers had someone else in mind. Also, the character of Val was exceedingly difficult to cast. They saw a lot of actresses. When Audrey Landers came in to audition, they were all blown away by her rendition of Dance: Ten, Looks: Three. She had the vaudeville-esque quality that they were looking for. I believe that she is one of the best parts of the film. She absolutely nailed the number. Attenborough said she worked extremely hard to keep up with some of the best dancers in the country at the time. She can dance but not like the rest of them. She is omitted from some of the more difficult routines but looks great alongside the rest of the cast in the rehearsal for One. I worked in a movie theatre as an usher when this film came out. I must have seen it over a hundred times!

]]> By: Darrenhttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-80503 Darren Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:06:00 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-80503 I have a book somewhere that details the audition process for the movie version of A Chorus Line. It gives each actor's personal story and then Richard Attenborough makes his own comments about each of them. Apparently, he fought hard to get Alyson Reed into the film as Cassie. The producers had someone else in mind. Also, the character of Val was exceedingly difficult to cast. They saw a lot of actresses. When Audrey Landers came in to audition, they were all blown away by her rendition of Dance: Ten, Looks: Three. She had the vaudeville-esque quality that they were looking for. I believe that she is one of the best parts of the film. She absolutely nailed the number. Attenborough said she worked extremely hard to keep up with some of the best dancers in the country at the time. She can dance but not like the rest of them. She is omitted from some of the more difficult routines but looks great alongside the rest of the cast in the rehearsal for One. I worked in a movie theatre as an usher when this film came out. I must have seen it over a hundred times! I have a book somewhere that details the audition process for the movie version of A Chorus Line. It gives each actor’s personal story and then Richard Attenborough makes his own comments about each of them. Apparently, he fought hard to get Alyson Reed into the film as Cassie. The producers had someone else in mind. Also, the character of Val was exceedingly difficult to cast. They saw a lot of actresses. When Audrey Landers came in to audition, they were all blown away by her rendition of Dance: Ten, Looks: Three. She had the vaudeville-esque quality that they were looking for. I believe that she is one of the best parts of the film. She absolutely nailed the number. Attenborough said she worked extremely hard to keep up with some of the best dancers in the country at the time. She can dance but not like the rest of them. She is omitted from some of the more difficult routines but looks great alongside the rest of the cast in the rehearsal for One. I worked in a movie theatre as an usher when this film came out. I must have seen it over a hundred times!

]]> By: Soundtrack Saturday: “Fast Forward” | lonelySound.nethttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-64046 Soundtrack Saturday: “Fast Forward” | lonelySound.net Sun, 11 Jul 2010 08:07:59 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-64046 [...] you all know how much I love ’80s dance movies; I’ve written about a few of them and will no doubt write about many more. Fast Forward (1985) is a film I’d [...] [...] you all know how much I love ’80s dance movies; I’ve written about a few of them and will no doubt write about many more. Fast Forward (1985) is a film I’d [...]

]]> By: Soundtrack Saturday: “Fast Forward” | soundonair.nethttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-64044 Soundtrack Saturday: “Fast Forward” | soundonair.net Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:04:50 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-64044 [...] you all know how much I love ’80s dance movies; I’ve written about a few of them and will no doubt write about many more. Fast Forward (1985) is a film I’d [...] [...] you all know how much I love ’80s dance movies; I’ve written about a few of them and will no doubt write about many more. Fast Forward (1985) is a film I’d [...]

]]> By: Soundtrack Saturday: “Fast Forward” | Popdosehttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-64025 Soundtrack Saturday: “Fast Forward” | Popdose Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:12:02 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-64025 [...] of) it, I just had to share.Now, you all know how much I love ’80s dance movies; I’ve written about a few of them and will no doubt write about many more. Fast Forward (1985) is a film that I had [...] [...] of) it, I just had to share.Now, you all know how much I love ’80s dance movies; I’ve written about a few of them and will no doubt write about many more. Fast Forward (1985) is a film that I had [...]

]]> By: Mork vs the Necrotons 3 | Hot Daily Gossiphttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-57877 Mork vs the Necrotons 3 | Hot Daily Gossip Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:56:39 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-57877 [...] Soundtrack Saturday: “A Chorus Line: The Movie” | Popdose [...] [...] Soundtrack Saturday: “A Chorus Line: The Movie” | Popdose [...]

]]> By: Gigihttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-56715 Gigi Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:48:29 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-56715 FYI, the "Chorus Line" Broadway cast album is significantly different, in some numbers, from the show. Back in the day, because there was only so much room on an LP, show soundtracks frequently abridged the songs so that they could fit more of them in. "I Hope I Get It" is MUCH longer on stage than on the album, but since so much of it is the same music over and over (as we watch group after group of dancers perform the audition routine) it really wouldn't translate. This underscores the essential awesomeness of "A Chorus Line" - that it is a creation of the theater, by the theater, and for the theater. I'm not against the filming of stage musicals - I adore the film version of "Dreamgirls" and liked "Chicago" as well - but if ever there were a show that resists adapatation, "Chorus Line" is it. FYI, the “Chorus Line” Broadway cast album is significantly different, in some numbers, from the show. Back in the day, because there was only so much room on an LP, show soundtracks frequently abridged the songs so that they could fit more of them in. “I Hope I Get It” is MUCH longer on stage than on the album, but since so much of it is the same music over and over (as we watch group after group of dancers perform the audition routine) it really wouldn't translate. This underscores the essential awesomeness of “A Chorus Line” – that it is a creation of the theater, by the theater, and for the theater. I'm not against the filming of stage musicals – I adore the film version of “Dreamgirls” and liked “Chicago” as well – but if ever there were a show that resists adapatation, “Chorus Line” is it.

]]> By: BobCashillhttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-56541 BobCashill Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:26:27 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-56541 Bennett had the right idea of what the show should have been as a movie. On its own it simply didn't compute. That said the show itself showed its age in its recent, museum-piece Broadway revival. It needed a CABARET-style rethink--that show's original staging, the splendid movie, and the brilliant 90s revival are all different animals, just as the CHICAGO revival and the Oscar-winning film diverge. But it's difficult to take it out of its time and place. <br><br>(Frederick, by the way, was in my dad's secretarial pool for awhile, sometime in the 70s.) Bennett had the right idea of what the show should have been as a movie. On its own it simply didn't compute. That said the show itself showed its age in its recent, museum-piece Broadway revival. It needed a CABARET-style rethink–that show's original staging, the splendid movie, and the brilliant 90s revival are all different animals, just as the CHICAGO revival and the Oscar-winning film diverge. But it's difficult to take it out of its time and place.

(Frederick, by the way, was in my dad's secretarial pool for awhile, sometime in the 70s.)

]]> By: Davidhttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-56526 David Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:36:14 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-56526 Watching Bennett's staging for the opening sequence makes me cry every time. I don't even really know why.<br><br>As far as being a "purist," I dearly love the original Bennett staging, but I'm not married to it. I'd never expect a film of A Chorus Line to be exactly like the stage version. The film of Cabaret is light years different from the stage version, but it's brilliant, so you don't hear anyone complaining. Though I could complain about the new songs or the cuts or any of the little specifics, what really bugs me about the film of A Chorus Line is that it doesn't seem to embody the spirit of the stage show. As Kelly Bishop said, Attenborough didn't get what the show was about, so how could he possibly make a good movie from it? Watching Bennett's staging for the opening sequence makes me cry every time. I don't even really know why.

As far as being a “purist,” I dearly love the original Bennett staging, but I'm not married to it. I'd never expect a film of A Chorus Line to be exactly like the stage version. The film of Cabaret is light years different from the stage version, but it's brilliant, so you don't hear anyone complaining. Though I could complain about the new songs or the cuts or any of the little specifics, what really bugs me about the film of A Chorus Line is that it doesn't seem to embody the spirit of the stage show. As Kelly Bishop said, Attenborough didn't get what the show was about, so how could he possibly make a good movie from it?

]]> By: Dan Hornhttp://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-a-chorus-line-the-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-56522 Dan Horn Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:03:05 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=43891#comment-56522 Why they bothered casting Audrey Landers is beyond you? Her pink two-piece outfit thingy is literally the only thing I remember from this movie, and it was on HBO a LOT in the 80's! Why they bothered casting Audrey Landers is beyond you? Her pink two-piece outfit thingy is literally the only thing I remember from this movie, and it was on HBO a LOT in the 80's!

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